Taskin Ahmed calls for improved pitches after T20I series loss
Bangladesh's fast bowler, Taskin Ahmed, has expressed his disappointment after the team lost the first two T20Is against India. He stressed on the need of better pitches in Bangladesh to improve their performance. "We have to improve our skills, but we also need to play on better wickets back home," Taskin told ESPNcricinfo. The pacer feels this could be a major reason behind their recent losses.
Ahmed highlights batting struggles in T20I series
Ahmed emphasized the team's batting woes in the T20I series against India. In the first match, only Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz could cross the 15-run mark. The second game witnessed a similar trend with batters not converting their starts into big scores. "The average score in Delhi is more than 200 runs. Both [Gwalior and Delhi] were good to bat but we didn't bat well," Taskin stated.
Ahmed acknowledges India's advantage and Bangladesh's over-reliance
Ahmed admitted India's experience of playing on good batting pitches has given them an edge. He also highlighted Bangladesh depends on a few key players to build a total. "Most matches in IPL are high-scoring. They know how to chase big targets, and build high scores," Taskin said. "What [scores like] 130-150 is for us, is 180-200 for them."
Ahmed admits spinners' struggle post Shakib's retirement
Despite his brilliant show in Delhi where he gave away just 16 runs and took two wickets, Ahmed conceded the team's spinners failed to bowl well. This was their first series since Shakib Al Hasan announced his retirement from T20Is. "Shakib bhai is someone who is always an important player for us," Taskin said, admitting Shakib's absence affected their performance.
