Follow UsBangladesh top-order (1-4) have been among the worst in the world in T20 Internationals (T20I) since 2023 among all the teams participating in the tournament. They have scored at a run-rate of 7.4 (on par with Uganda) and registered an average of 25.6 and balls per wicket ratio of 20.8 - both of which are mediocre numbers.
Moreover, Bangladesh suffered a series defeat at the hands of USA in Houston ahead of the marquee event recently. While acknowledging that they have not lived up to expectations, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto believes that they can turn things around beginning with the match against Sri Lanka on June 6 (Friday).
"Yes, it's very true that the top-order batsmen didn't do well or they are not doing well. But tomorrow is completely a new day and as you said whoever has lacking is working on that," Shanto said ahead of Bangladesh's T20 World Cup opener.
"I think everyone is giving 100% in practice and if you talk about improvement, everyone is in a good condition. Everyone is in a better position than before. As much as we have seen in practice and we batted in the net, from that I think we are in a better position than before.
"Without worrying much about what happened before, tomorrow is a new day, we don't know who will play well or who will not. I think whoever starts well and gets set on the new day, it is his big responsibility to finish the game. We are working hard. As the batters have prepared themselves, if we can execute it, it will be a good match."
Shanto says his side is well-prepared to take on Sri Lanka. "If you talk about the preparation, everyone is well prepared. I think we have tried to utilize all the facilities we had. There will be good and bad things but we have tried to take good things as much as we can from practice. I think the players are well prepared," Shanto said.
"Whether the top-order players have tried anything new or not - is an individual thing and they have planned individually. But I personally think they have not tried anything extra. They have worked on how to implement the strength in the match."
The wicket at Grand Prairie in Dallas has seen good contest between bat and ball in the first three games. Regardless, Shanto and his men are focused on adapting to it well.
"In this wicket, I saw in one match there was a score of 194 [USA vs Canada]. Today [USA vs Pakistan], it is around 150. So, when we start playing tomorrow, we will know how many runs we can score or we can defend. It is difficult to say," the skipper said.
"But overall, I think the batting is challenging for each team. But there's no option for an excuse. How we adapt to this condition and how we can give a good start as batsmen is very important. If we bowl first, for the bowlers, how we take advantage of that, how we can take a wicket, these things are important.
"So, when the game begins tomorrow, we have to adjust to these things very quickly. And I don't think we need to worry too much about wickets. It is important to believe in the ability to play the match and the skill of the players and execute accordingly."
Following their match against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh head to New York here they will take on South Africa (June 10), followed by clashes against the Netherlands (June 13) and Nepal (June 16) at St Vincent.
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