Shakib Al Hasan, a Bangladesh all-rounder, claimed the team’s unexpected loss to Scotland in their T20 World Cup 2021 opener upset them tremendously, and they struggled to contain their anxieties against Oman on Tuesday. Bangladesh overcame a shaky start to overcome Oman by 26 runs and maintain their dreams of making it to the Super 12 stage alive.
Therefore, On the first day of the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh was startled by Scotland, as Mahmudullah’s side struggled with both the ball and the bat against a spirited side captained by Kyle Coetzer. Bangladesh, chasing 141, never got going and lost Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle overs, a blow they never recovered from.
Mohammad Naim
For their must-win encounter against Oman at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground on Tuesday, they brought in opener Mohammad Naim in lieu of Soumya Sarkar. Naim took the field and blasted a 50-ball 64, followed by Shakib’s 29-ball 42. Bangladesh scored 165 points, which proved too much for Oman, who displayed moments of brilliance in the chase.
Shakib shined with his all-around performance, taking 3/28 as Oman was limited to 127 for 9 in their 20-over quota.
“It hurt the whole team. We were not expecting it. But should give credit to Scotland. They were very confident before the game. It was pretty tough because the Scotland loss was hurting us,” Shakib said.
Oman played some excellent cricket. For the most part, they were in the game. But we kept our cool. Oman deserves credit for the manner they’re playing. They’re showing a lot of emotion in their play. This victory will calm our nerves.
However, in order to qualify for the Super 12, Bangladesh must win their final Round 1 match against Papua New Guinea and hope for favorable results elsewhere.
“We need to improve in a lot of areas, but I’ll take the win. Delivering the win for the country is the most important thing and I hope they are happy,” he said.
Captain Mahmudullah acknowledged that Bangladesh has a long way to go, but emphasized that the win over Oman was crucial to their confidence.
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