Shanto banks on Australia lessons for next WC

Against all odds, Bangladesh had the golden chance to qualify for the semifinals of the ongoing T20 World Cup after the Netherlands stunned South Africa to blow the Group 2 wide open, but another dismal batting display led the Tigers down against Pakistan in their last Super 12 clash.

Another surprise from Bangladesh was that their opening batter, Najmul Hossain Shanto, ended up as the highest run-getter for his side in the flagship event.

Shanto had been on the receiving end of immense criticism over his inclusion in the Tigers' World Cup squad ahead of the marquee event since he underwent a sustained lean patch, but the left-hander ended up tallying 180 runs in five games, including two fifties against Zimbabwe and Pakistan.

Despite Shanto ending up as the Tigers' leading run scorer, it was the approach of the left-hander that added fuel to the fire. However, Shanto informed that his focus was more on the game rather than what critics were saying about him.

"There have been a lot of talks about me but to be honest I did not think about such things as I was more focused on my game and training," Shanto told reporters yesterday following the arrival of the Bangladesh team last week.

However, skipper Shakib Al Hasan did not accompany the side as he left for the United States from Australia.

"Alhamdulillah, it went well, but I feel that I could've done much better than what I did," said Shanto.

Although the Tigers won two games but the team management would be worried over the fact that Bangladesh

lost momentum in crucial stages in their encounters against superior opponents on paper, most notably during their five-run defeat against India.

"We had a big opportunity to do well in this World Cup. We will keep that in mind so that we can do better in the next World Cup. We still have two years in our hand and we will try to prepare ourselves accordingly. If we can train accordingly, it is possible to do well in the next World Cup," he said.

The Bangladesh middle-order portrayed a sordid display throughout the tournament, being able to reach 150 only once in the five matches played.

Bangladesh's batting may have been the biggest disappointment, but their bowling unit, especially the pace battery led by Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Hasan Mahmud, remained instrumental behind the two wins.

Taskin bagged eight wickets in five games and was the leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh, while experienced Mustafizur kept runs in check throughout the tournament.

"I think our bowling unit did really well in almost all the games. The other thing is that we stuck together as a unit and backed each other in tough situations. Personally, since this was my first World Cup, I felt that we played as a team," Shanto added.

Bangladesh's next assignment is against India at home next month, where the Tigers are slated to play two Tests and three ODIs.