Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan admitted the team’s batsmen are to blame for the below par score in the first innings against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.
The former national skipper said the wicket did not trouble the batsman, rather the Lankan attack should be given credit for Bangladesh’s poor showing.
“I felt the wicket was good enough to bat at least as long as I was there. I believe according to our ability, we could have scored 380 plus runs if we could have managed to bat till tomorrow. We failed to do that and we are far behind in the game to be honest. It will be tough to get wickets on this pitch,” said Shakib at SBNS after the day’s play.
“They bowled well and at the same time we also made mistakes. I believe we should have performed better after our recent performances. If you look at the board, we didn’t lose any wicket in the first 10 overs and had scored 40 runs so I believe no one will say that the wicket was difficult. There were not too many balls to miss or that moved. The bowlers will now have to take the responsibility,” the left-arm all-rounder added.
The Bangladesh innings was also plagued with a few questionable decisions – of Mushfiqur Rahim, Nasir Hossain and Marshal Ayub, all seemed unlucky to have been given out. It might have had frustrated the home side but Shakib stayed clear from making any direct comments on the issue.
“Looking into the replays might give one doubts over the decisions but at the end it is the umpires call. Replays can show you many bad decisions but it’s difficult in real time. I don’t think its right to comment on this,” he said.
With Bangladesh all out with 232 runs in the first innings, Shakib believes the bowling department will have to take the responsibility. The three seamers in the Bangladesh line up was a rare combination for the side. Shakib believes the decision by the coach, selectors and the captain will pay off and that the management that always looks to keep a winning combination have done what they thought right.