‘The batters have to take responsibility’ — Miraz after another batting collapse

The target was 191 runs — nothing particularly intimidating on paper. It looked like a chase Bangladesh should have managed with relative ease. But the batters turned what seemed a straightforward task into a steep uphill battle. Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz didn't shy away from admitting that at the presentation ceremony, saying, "We should have won this chase quite easily. We batted very poorly."

Bangladesh were bowled out for just 109, losing by a hefty margin of 81 runs in the second ODI against Afghanistan. Rashid Khan was the chief destroyer, claiming five wickets and completely dismantling Bangladesh's middle order. Most of the batters got out to ill-judged, reckless shots — dismissals that left both the dressing room and the crowd baffled.

The collapse was particularly dramatic between the 22.3 and 23rd over: in the space of just nine consecutive deliveries, Bangladesh lost three wickets without adding a single run. From a relatively stable 99 for 5, they crumbled to 109 all out — their lowest total ever in ODIs against Afghanistan.

Reflecting on the defeat, captain Miraz once again stressed the need for his batters to take greater responsibility. "I'll tell the batters that they have to improve. If we don't score runs in ODIs, we simply won't survive. The batters have to take responsibility," he said.

Bangladesh's innings lacked any meaningful partnerships. The highest stand came from Towhid Hridoy and Zakir Ali, who added just 29 runs off 36 balls. Miraz expressed his frustration about that as well: "I said one thing — we need partnerships at the top. Even a 30 or 40-run stand could have changed the picture. But we couldn't manage that. None of the batters are taking responsibility — that's the real issue."

The loss not only handed Afghanistan the series win but also extended Bangladesh's dismal run of form. This was their third consecutive ODI series defeat against Afghanistan, and in their last 11 ODIs overall, Bangladesh have now suffered 10 losses — a worrying sign ahead of a busy cricketing calendar.

Despite the disappointment, Miraz tried to strike a note of optimism as he looked ahead: "We're very disappointed right now, but we still have one more game left in the series. After that, there's another series against West Indies. We have to think about how we can come back stronger and improve from here."