It was the very first game for the Tigers' new bowling coach Courtney Walsh as Bangladesh narrowly escaped defeat against Afghanistan in the first ODI in Mirpur on Sunday.
At one stage it appeared that the visitors would run away with the match but the home side held their nerve, eventually managing a seven-run win.
Despite the close nature of the victory, Walsh believes his charges performed well following a 10-month break from ODIs.
“We sent messages to try to get him (Mashrafe bin Mortaza) to relax and remember what we were doing in practice. Everyone tried to fit in as best as they could. I think everybody was keen because we hadn’t played for a while,” Walsh told the media on Monday.
“We were match rusty. The boys turned it around and did very well. We were saying inside [the dressing room] that if we can get two good overs and if those overs had wickets, the game could change. We weren’t sharp in the field like we usually are but once we started taking wickets, we knew we had a chance,” added the West Indies fast bowling legend.
The 53-year old also praised Taskin Ahmed, who recently made a comeback to international cricket following a suspension for illegal bowling action.
“I thought he did very well. He was under a bit of pressure before the game. He was reported by the International Cricket Council so to come into a game of this nature after not playing for 10 months, I think he was trying a little bit too hard at the beginning,” he said.
“But he delivered what we needed him to do. Credit to him for how he came back. He could have had a completely bad day and that could have cost us the match,” he added.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
