Bangladesh's World Cup fiasco: dissection of grounds

Bangladesh won two matches only in the World Cup 2023 against seven defeats including the shame against Netherlands, though they had at least three wins in previous three World Cups. They have been criticized for several on and off the field activities too. This is the second and last piece of the two-part analysis of the reasons of Bangladesh's debacle in World Cup.
 
Poor batting display
Among the top order batters Tanzid Tamim scored 145 runs, Liton Das 184 runs, skipper Shakib Al Hasan 186 runs, vice-captain Najmul Hossain Shanto 226 runs while Mushfiqur Rahim accumulated 202. Tawhid Hridoy was dropped against South Africa and Netherlands, who didn't bat against Afghanistan, scored 164 runs from his six innings including 74-run knock against Australia while Mehidy Miraz, who batted at late order in most of the matches, scored 201 runs. Mahmudullah, the only inform Bangladesh batter, played seven matches to stockpiled 328 runs at an average of 55 runs. He played 111-run knock against South Africa though Bangladesh lost six wickets to post 81 runs on the board in that match. His 56 runs against Pakistan also helped Bangladesh to exceed 200 runs.

Non-venomous bowling attack
Bangladesh pacers had been outstanding with the ball before the World Cup, who proved them toothless in the most rigorous event of cricket. Shoriful Islam was the highest wicket-taker among five Bangladesh pacers, who clinched 10 wickets from eight matches at an economy rate of 6.32, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman hunted five wickets each as Tanzim Sakib and Hasan Mahmud got three wickets respectively. Among the spinners Miraz picked up 10 wickets, while Shakib got nine, Mahedi Hasan six and Nasum Ahmed remained wicket-less from the three matches he played.

Liton's weird reaction to journalists
Bangladesh team was in Pune to play against India after couple of massive defeats against England and New Zealand. The players had no practice for three days before the game and journalists from Bangladesh were waiting for the cricketers at Conrad Pune Hotel lobby. Seeing the pressmen, the wicketkeeper batter Liton Das lost his temper. He went to security guards and asked them to oust journalists. Hotel management then requested journalists to go away. Liton and BCB begged apologies on the following day.

Shakib, Liton's homecoming during event
Shakib returned to Dhaka on the day before the Netherlands match to practice under the guidance of Najmul Abedin Fahim despite Bangladesh had a longest coaching queue. What's their business if a player needs to take help from a local coach?  Shakib however, scored five runs in the match he played after special training. He came home alone again before the last match against Australia sustaining a finger injury. He definitely could stay beside the exhausted team before such a big match.

Besides Shakib, Liton Das came in Dhaka twice to stay beside his expecting wife. BCB granted his leave first time before the match against India but his second homecoming created controversies.

Timed Out debate
Shakib Al Hasan got the wicket of Sadeera Samarawickrama and Angelo Mathews came in to bat with a faulty hamlet during the match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on November 6. Mathews called for a replacement helmet without consent of field umpires. By this stage, two minutes had passed and Shakib appealed to on-field umpires. Umpire given Mathews a timed out. It's for the first time in the 146-year history of international cricket, the World witnessed a timed out. The out however, termed as 'unethical' and 'against sportsmanship spirit' by many though the ICC's bylaws and MCC rules approve such out.

The blame-game
The blaming issue began with Bangladesh-New Zealand home series before the World Cup. Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha complained to the BCB President Nazmul Hasan Papon that Tamim Iqbal forcefully played the first game of the three-match ODI series despite his back pain, though Tamim repeatedly claimed that it was the decision taken jointly by the coach, physio and Tamim. Hathurusingha also blamed Shakib for taking decision during World Cup without his consent. Pace bowling coach Alan Donald indirectly stated that he remained neglected during team's decision making process.

Blaming is not new in Bangladesh cricket. Shakib was a vibrant critic of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza for poor performances as captain in 2019. The all-rounder stockpiled 606 runs and scalped 11 wickets in the World Cup in 2019, who scored 186 runs this time and got nine wickets with the ball. Will he now take responsibility of team's fiasco this time?