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'Need Better Home Pitches' - Shanto Blames Bangladesh Cricket Board Before T20 World Cup

Najmul Hossain Shanto in action for Bangladesh (USA Cricket)Najmul Hossain Shanto in action for Bangladesh (USA Cricket)

Bangladesh cricket captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, currently in the USA for the 2024 T20 World Cup, has called for better playing surfaces back home in a bid to improve their lacklustre overseas record. 

Under his leadership, Bangladesh recently lost their three-match T20I series against the USA by a 1-2 margin and also suffered a shock home defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe in Mirpur earlier this month.


Bangladesh captain advocates for good home wickets

Najmul Hossain Shanto was appointed as Bangladesh captain earlier this year as the replacement of legendary all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. Ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA, the 25-year-old blamed Bangladesh’s latest failures on low-scoring home surfaces, and called for better playing conditions in order to adapt to typical run-fests in overseas matches.

While speaking with the AFP, Najmul Hossain Shanto said:

“We have to play on good wickets. Some people can take it as an excuse, but it is really a fact that we play very few matches on a good wicket.”

Pitches in Bangladesh are generally known for staging low-scoring matches. Even during the recently-concluded T20I series between Zimbabwe and hosts Bangladesh played in Chattogram and Mirpur in May, the highest total recorded by either team turned out to be a moderate 165-run total posted by Najmul Hossain Shanto’s men.

Bangladesh players are currently gearing up to face Team India in their lone warm-up match, scheduled to be staged in New York on June 1.

Najmul Hossain Shanto and co. will subsequently launch their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a Group D match against arch-rivals Sri Lanka. The match will be hosted by the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas on June 7.