Bangladesh lost the bilateral series to Pakistan 3-0 after losing the third match by 5 wickets at the SBNCS in Mirpur on Monday (November 22). Bangladesh have now lost eight T20I matches in a row, and there are several issues to consider in order to improve T20 cricket. BCB handed some new players chances in this series, but most of them failed to deliver on the international stage, suggesting that success in the Twenty20 format requires a well-thought-out strategy. Let's take a look at the performance of the Bangladesh players in the BAN vs PAK T20I Series 2021.

Bangladesh Cricket Team's Performance in the BAN vs PAK T20I Series 2021

Bangladesh's top scorer in this series was Afif Hossain, while skipper Mahmudullah took the most wickets. Bangladesh's batting performance was the most disappointing part of the series, and as a result, they failed to win a single match.  

Batting/Top order

Bangladesh's top order was inconsistent in the series. Opener Mohammad Naim scored 47 runs in the third match, although his innings was far from impressive. He stayed at the crease till the 19th over, playing 50 balls in the process. This type of approach isn't ideal in the shortest version of the game. Saif Hasan's footwork has been widely criticized, indicating that he is not a suitable T20 batter. Najmul Hossain Shanto had an excellent performance in the second match (40), but he struggled in the remaining two games. In a nutshell, Bangladesh's top order in this series was a complete failure.

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Top three run-scorers (Bangladesh) 

   Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/ 

Batting/Middle-Order

Bangladesh faced a huge void in the middle-order due to the absence of two seasoned players, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan. Yasir Ali Rabbi was expected to be considered for playing XI, but he didn't receive a chance throughout the series. Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah Riyad, and Nurul Hasan were given responsibilities in the middle order. Only Afif showed some potential, but he has a tendency of getting out after a strong start. The gifted left-handed batter must improve his patience and technique. With the bat, Mahmudullah and Nurul had a quiet series. 

The lower-middle order batsman, Mahedi Hasan played a solid innings in the first encounter but failed to deliver in the remaining two matches. Aminul Islam Biplob was unable to show his batting ability in the series. More importantly, the platform had been built for the power hitters in the last two matches, but they were unable to capitalize on it. Therefore, Bangladesh had to settle with modest totals against Pakistan, which were insufficient.

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Bowling/ Pace

Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed had excellent ball control. They both took two wickets and were among the most economical bowlers in the series. However, Bangladesh lost the opening match of the series as a result of them. Mustafiz, Taskin, and Shoriful all gave up a lot of runs in the last few overs of the first match, which they eventually lost. Mustafizur Rahman was unable to play in the third match due to an injury, and Shoriful was dropped. Shohidul Islam replaced Mustafiz in the last match and did a good job with the ball, although conceded a few runs. Overall, the pacers looked solid in the series. 

Top three wicket-takers (Bangladesh)

  Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

Bowling/ Spin

Aminul Islam Biplob was one of the most talked-about players in the series. In the first match, Captain Mahmudullah Riyad was hesitant to utilize him in the middle overs and was strongly criticized for bringing him in the last over. Aminul Islam was properly used in the following two matches and displayed that he is more than capable of picking up wickets. He has a bright future if BCB can properly nurture this leg-spinner. Mahedi Hasan took one wicket and was Bangladesh's most economical bowler in the series (4.91). Captain Mahmudullah Riyad took the most wickets with three, all of which came in the final over of the third match. 

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Fielding

Bangladesh have improved its ground fielding. However, they also squandered some simple opportunities, lost catches, and were careless in their fielding at times. Fielding is sometimes dictated by the game's circumstances. Bangladesh's overall body language was underwhelming, which had an impact on their performance.

Way Forward

With the exception of a few individual performances, Bangladesh's overall performance in the BAN vs PAK T20I Series 2021 was utterly disappointing. Bangladesh's batting has to improve if they want to compete in the shortest version of the game. More significantly, BCB needs a well-thought-out strategy, particularly in terms of who should play in the Test format and who should be considered for the T20 format. Newcomers require time to establish themselves on the international stage. Bangladesh will not have any T20I series in the near future. They will play the Test and ODI series in New Zealand and South Africa respectively earlier next year.

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