Bulbul shocked by Shanto’s captaincy and the team’s batting strategy

Chasing a target of 236, Bangladesh reached 120 for 2, looking well on course for victory.

However, their batting line-up crumbled thereafter, losing eight wickets for just 23 runs. This incredible collapse led to Bangladesh’s 92-run defeat in the first ODI against Afghanistan.

Former national captain Aminul Islam Bulbul was stunned by Najmul Hossain Shanto’s captaincy and the team’s batting strategy in the match.

The last Women’s T20 World Cup was held in Dubai, where Bulbul played a role in organizing the global event.

The former Bangladesh batsman, currently serving as ICC Development Manager, had been in Dubai since then.

Before returning to Australia today, Bulbul attended the first ODI of the series as a guest of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

Although he was there as a guest of the opposition, Bulbul was undoubtedly hoping that his team would perform well.

But six years after his last visit to the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, he witnessed the collapse of Bangladesh. Despite being on the right track with two solid partnerships, Bangladesh’s batters suddenly lost their way and a procession of wickets began.

According to Bulbul, Bangladesh’s batting strategy was weak, and he was equally unimpressed by Shanto’s captaincy. The former right-handed batsman, who scored a century in Bangladesh’s first Test match, expressed his disappointment and shared his thoughts on his personal Facebook account.

Despite his disappointment, Bulbul remains hopeful that the team can bounce back. In his post, he wrote, “After six years, today I watched Bangladesh’s match in Sharjah as a guest of Afghanistan Cricket Board. Wins and losses are part of the game, but I was genuinely shocked by the captain and the batting strategy. Everything seemed bland; body language, focus on the ball, pre-ball routines – overall the planning seemed very weak. I hope we can improve soon.”

Afghanistan, who batted first after winning the toss, were reduced to 71 for 5 due to Mustafizur Rahman’s deadly spell. Nevertheless, they managed to reach 235, thanks to a resilient partnership between captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi.

The pair added 104 runs for the sixth wicket, with Shahidi scoring 52 and Nabi a crucial 84. In response, Bangladesh stayed on course with two partnerships of 53 and 55 runs even after early wickets. However, at 120, their innings fell apart when they collapsed against the spin of Afghan spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, ending their innings with a low total.