Bulbul shocked by Shanto’s captaincy and team’s batting strategy

Chasing a target of 236, Bangladesh reached 120 for 2, seeming well on track for victory.

However, their batting lineup then crumbled, losing eight wickets for just 23 runs. This unbelievable collapse led to Bangladesh's 92-run defeat in the first ODI against Afghanistan.

Former national captain Aminul Islam Bulbul was left stunned by Najmul Hossain Shanto's captaincy and the team's batting strategy in the match.

The last Women's T20 World Cup was held in Dubai, where Bulbul played a part in organising the global event.

The former Bangladeshi batsman, currently working as an ICC Development Manager, had been in Dubai since then.

Before returning to Australia today, Bulbul attended the first ODI of the series as a guest of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

Although attending as a guest of the opposing team, Bulbul undoubtedly hoped to see his team perform well.

But six years after his last visit to the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, he witnessed Bangladesh's collapse. Despite being on track with two steady partnerships, Bangladesh's batters suddenly lost their way, starting a procession of wickets.

According to Bulbul, Bangladesh's batting strategy was weak, and he was equally unimpressed by Shanto's captaincy. Expressing his disappointment, the former right-handed batsman, who scored a century in Bangladesh's inaugural Test match, shared his thoughts on his personal Facebook account.

Despite his disappointment, Bulbul remains hopeful that the team can bounce back. In his post, he wrote, "After six years, I watched Bangladesh's match in Sharjah today as a guest of the Afghanistan Cricket Board. Wins and losses are part of the game, but I was genuinely shocked by the captaincy and the batting strategy. Everything seemed lacklustre; body language, focus on the ball, pre-ball routines – overall, the planning appeared very weak. I hope we can improve soon."

Afghanistan, batting first after winning the toss, was reduced to 71 for 5 due to Mustafizur Rahman's lethal spell. Nevertheless, they managed to reach 235, thanks to a resilient partnership between captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi.

The pair added 104 runs for the sixth wicket, with Shahidi scoring 52 and Nabi a crucial 84. In response, Bangladesh stayed on course with two partnerships of 53 and 55 runs, even after early wickets. However, at 120, their innings fell apart as they collapsed against Afghan spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar's spin, ending their innings for a low total.