Shanto shoulders blame for Bangladesh test defeat against Zimbabwe in Sylhet while also defending Mushfiqur Rahim.
Shanto shoulders responsibility for Bangladesh’s loss to Zimbabwe.
At the press conference after the Sylhet Test defeat to Zimbabwe, Najmul Hossain Shanto was asked a wide range of topics, from his terrible shot to be out at the beginning of the fourth day to the higher salary the players now receive to the market value of Bangladesh cricket.
He struggled to find answers to the more difficult questions, but he was honest about the shot he had made and how it affected the game. Captains may suffer greatly during transitions, particularly after losing to an underdog team.
“It was my fault that we lost the match, that’s the truth,” Shanto said. “My wicket early in the morning [off the second ball of the day] ruined the whole match for us. If we [Shanto and Jaker Ali] had added 50 or 60 more runs at that time, we would be in a better position. I don’t want to blame anyone else. I am taking all the responsibilities since my dismissal came at a very bad time. I always think about taking scoring opportunities. Maybe I could have taken more time [before playing my shots]. But I will play that shot [again], maybe the timing wasn’t right [on this occasion].”
Shanto ended up throwing a leading edge to deep fine leg after he tripped while trying to draw a short delivery outside off from Blessing Muzarabani. However, at 194 for 5, there were still specialised batters available. As Shanto’s deputy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, attempted to score rapidly but was frustrated by Zimbabwe’s short-ball strategy, Jaker maintained his impressive form in Test matches. In the opening half-hour, Bangladesh lost three wickets, including him.
Shanto claimed that Bangladesh had failed to apply themselves sufficiently, particularly against Muzarabani, who completed with career-best match statistics of 9 for 122.
“Of course, he [Muzarabani] bowled well, and there is some added advantage due to his height. But still, the batting unit should have taken a bit more responsibility,” Shanto said. “We should have planned a bit better against him. He’s their main bowler. It was necessary to handle his spells [better]. I think we did it for some time but that was not enough.”