Liton apologizes to fans for their disappointing performance

Bangladesh skipper Liton Das apologized to the fans for their disappointing performance in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan tour but vowed to turn the things around by learning from their mistakes.

The UAE series marked the journey of Liton as permanent captain but it was all bitter memory for him as Bangladesh suffered a shocking 2-1 defeat to the ICC associate nation. Later Liton's side tasted a series whitewash to Pakistan, meaning they won just one match in six games. The wayward performance also put an adverse impact on their rankings as they slipped to 10th in T20 format.

"I am sorry to Bangladesh fans that we couldn't win any game (in Pakistan series) but hopefully we will make a comeback (by learning from our mistakes)," Liton said.

"We didn't bowl well and didn't field well in last two games but we batted well on this track (in the third T20)," he added. Liton laid emphasize on learning the arts of bowling to different batters, according to the condition and match situation.  "It's a good wicket, but we need to learn how to bowl to different batters and need to think about that."

Bangladesh suffered a 37-run and 57-run defeat in the first two matches, without showing any proper resistance.  In the third game, they though batted well and put up 196-6, the bowlers couldn't show enough skill to defend that total.

However, amid the disappointment, Liton found positive in openers in ParvezHossainEmon and TanzidHasanTamim.

The opening pair that was long termed as Bangladesh's weakest link since the retirement of TamimIqbal, played reasonably well to give the side a hope.

"They (Tanzid and Emon) batted really well and most of the guys put up their hands and did a good job. The crowds were very amazing. They supported both teams."

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's national team will kick off preparations for their upcoming full series in Sri Lanka right after Eid, with the focus now firmly on red-ball cricket as the Test format comes first.

Several Test regulars, including MominulHaque, ZakirHasan, Shadman Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim, AnamulHaqueBijoy, and pacer EbadotHossain, have already wrapped up a pre-Eid skill camp at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Ebadot, who has been sidelined since mid-2023 with a serious knee ligament injury, is on track for a return to international cricket.

The right-arm pacer, who underwent a careful workload management plan under the supervision of the BCB's medical and training staff, has already featured in domestic games including the Dhaka Premier League and played for Bangladesh A in both ODIs and four-day matches against New Zealand A in Sylhet.

Speaking to the media on Saturday in Mirpur, Ebadot said, "Alhamdulillah, I feel like I'm getting back to my old rhythm. I've been preparing myself, and the final decision lies with the selectors. I was out due to injury, but my focus is firmly on the Sri Lanka series."

Assessing the practice sessions, which were conducted in a two-day match scenario, Ebadot praised both batters and bowlers: "The batters are in good touch - leaving well, punishing bad balls, rotating strike. As bowlers, we tried to maintain good lengths to make it hard for them. Though the wicket was batting-friendly, the pacers, including NahidRana, bowled with good pace."

Though the exact nature of conditions in Sri Lanka remains uncertain, Ebadot expressed confidence in the team's adaptability: "Whatever the pitch offers, we are ready to compete. Our pace unit has grown stronger, and our spinners are also ready."

Since 2022, Bangladesh's pace department has become increasingly competitive, something Ebadot sees as a positive. "There's healthy competition now among pacers, and that's helping us improve," he added.