Shanto looking for team effort to avoid another whitewash

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said he would like to see more team effort rather than one or two individual performances in order to avoid another white-ball series whitewash against New Zealand.

Having lost the first two matches of the three-match one-day series, Bangladesh need a win tomorrow to avoid whitewash and also to have a maiden victory in the white-ball format on New Zealand soil against the Kiwis,

Praising a few individual efforts in the first two matches, Shanto said the performances could have translated into victories had more of those had come from the others as well.  

"We need to play as a team. There are a few individual performances. But we need a bit more from the team, more partnerships. I still believe we have the ability to beat the opposition. I see every match as an opportunity.  I believe we can rewrite history," Shanto said ahead of tomorrow's final ODI in Napier. 

Bangladesh lost the rain-curtailed first match in Dunedin by 44 runs and then lost the second match in Nelson by seven wickets. Pacer Shoriful Islam, according to Shanto, bowled well in opening spells in both matches while the captain felt leg-spinner Rishad bowled well on his debut. Shanto also praised Soumya Sarkar for his massive 169 in the second match, but felt the others needed to chip in too in order for the team to get a positive result.  

"In the second match, Soumya scored a century, Rishad made his debut and had a great bowling spell, Shoriful's new-ball spell was good – so there were positives to take. If we can improve a little more, I think we can win," Shanto said.

The Bangladesh opener said that it is challenging for both bowlers and batters to adapt to these conditions, but everyone should follow take a leaf out of Shoriful or Soumya's books to succeed in these conditions.