Sports Reporter:
The Bangladesh national cricket team arrived in Dhaka today, concluding a disheartening ICC World Cup 2023 journey in India where they participated in nine matches, losing seven.
Captain Shakib Al Hasan returned earlier due to a finger injury, missing the final match against Austral-ia. In his absence, vice-captain Najmul Hossain Shanto led the team, and Bangladesh suffered another defeat.
Head coach Chandika Hathurusinga also returned with the team, while bowling coach Allan Donald opt-ed not to travel to Dhaka, resigning from his position and heading directly to South Africa from India.
Shakib expressed disappointment, labeling it Bangladesh’s “worst” World Cup performance, acknowl-edging unmet high expectations.
Mahmudullah Riyad emerged as the top scorer for Bangladesh, amassing 328 runs in seven innings, in-cluding a century and a 50. He was a last-minute inclusion in the team. He missed a few series leading up to the World Cup.
Among other batters, Litton Das (286), Najmul Hossain Shanto (222), Mushfiqur Rahim (202), and Me-hidy Hasan Miraz (201) surpassed the 200-run mark. Miraz and Shoriful Islam excelled as bowlers, each taking 10 wickets, while Shakib managed nine.
Bangladesh’s next assignment is a two-match series against New Zealand starting later this month.
With this two-match Test series on the horizon, Bangladesh faces the task of appointing a captain in Shakib’s absence, due to a finger injury, for the upcoming series.
