T20 World Cup 2021 | We feel bad when the criticism is belittling, says an emotional Mahmudullah
Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah has hit back at the critics after the team qualified for the T20 World Cup 2021 Super 12s round. Bangladesh followed its 26-run win over Oman with a resounding 84-run victory over Papua New Guinea on Thursday, after they had gone down to Scotland by six runs earlier.
Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hasan had criticized the team after their defeat to Scotland, coming down heavily on the experienced trio of Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim. The team had been widely criticized on the social media too, with fans expressing themselves in ways of their own.
The team bounced back with clinical wins over Oman and Papua New Guinea, and secured a spot in the Super 12s stage. Skipper Mahmudullah, who scored a 28-ball 50 against PNG on Friday, spoke of the "belittling" criticism from fans and elsewhere, and conceded that the team wasn't feeling great after the comments made.
"Everyone has social media on their phone. We expect criticism when it is warranted, but if that is belittling, we feel bad," admitted Mahmudullah. "There were many questions, including about the three senior players' strike rate. We tried hard, but we didn't get the result. Everyone makes sacrifices. We play with injuries. Some of us take painkillers every day. Many don't know about these things, so it is not right to talk about our commitment. I hope we can be more settled now. Within the team, there is positive energy, and for that, I thank the whole team. I hope things will get better.
"We are human beings and we also make mistakes. When we play, the whole country plays together. We keep it in our minds. I don't think anyone has more feelings for it than us. We played bad and we knew that we would receive criticism. We all were hurt by it."
Mahmudullah called for "healthier" criticism, stating that the players always try their best to deliver the desired results.
"We are human beings and we have feelings. We have families. Our parents and children always sit in front of the TV and they feel sad about it. Many raised questions on the strike rate of our three senior cricketers. We tried a lot. It wasn't like we didn't try. We tried our best but couldn't get the result. I think the criticism should be healthier," he said..
The 35-year-old acknowledged the team's batting brilliance for piling up 181/7 against PNG.
"It was much needed. That was the way we wanted to play and there was intent from the batters. If you compare to the last two games, I think we did much better so I think the batters did a very good job to get a 180-plus score," Mahmudullah said.
"The two things we are concerned about are the first six overs with the bat and ball. If we can get a good start, we can capitalise on it and that is how we have been building up wins. We need to focus on those areas again and try to compete hard."
Bangladesh is placed alongside England, Australia, South Africa and West Indies in the Super 12s round, with either of Ireland or Namibia set to join them depending on their fixture result on Friday.
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