Mahmud blasts clueless pacers

Bangladesh's 45-run defeat against Afghanistan in the opening game of the three-match T20I series in Dehradun on Sunday was 'extremely disappointing' for manager Khaled Mahmud. In that, the former Bangladesh captain was accurately portraying the sentiment of a cricket-loving nation.

It was not the defeat but the manner in which the Tigers lost their first international fixture in nearly three months after that heart-stopping Nidahas Trophy final against India in Colombo that disturbed Mahmud most.

"I'm extremely disappointed in the way we bowled, especially in the last six overs. We conceded 70-odd runs and they were six wickets down. It is totally unacceptable the way our pacers bowled in the death overs. When you are playing for the national team you are supposed to know what you are doing. You simply can't bowl those half volleys," Mahmud said bitterly during a phone conversation with The Daily Star Sport last night.

Bangladesh conceded a whopping 76 runs in the last six overs, which helped Afghanistan post 167 for eight -- a good score on a slow wicket that the Afghan spinners led by Rashid Khan defended quite comfortably.

Bangladesh fielded three pacers -- Rubel Hossain, Abul Hasan and Abu Jayed -- on Sunday and all of them were wayward and duly punished.

"Rubel has been playing for the national team for nine years and we expect maturity from him. The other two bowlers might not have the experience at the top level but they are proven bowlers on the domestic front. Besides, look at their [Afghanistan's] young pacer [Karim] Janat and how well he bowled," Mahmud observed, adding that he would strongly advocate for change in the playing eleven for today's second game.

Asked if 167 was a tough score to chase down on that wicket, Mahmud said: "If you consider the bowling attack that Afghanistan have, it is tough but not impossible." 

The Bangladesh batting imploded once Afghanistan introduced their ace leg-spinner Rashid in the 11th over.

When asked if off-spinners Mahmudullah Riyad -- who bowled one over and took two wickets -- and Mosaddek Hossain, who was also allowed to bowl one over that yielded three runs, were under-bowled by an apparently rigid Bangladesh captain Skakib Al Hasan, Mahmud disagreed.

"We can say that now. But when you have your opponent's tail exposed and with a few overs left, you expect your main bowlers to do their job. Unfortunately they failed."