We believe we can beat any team in the world,’ said captain Liton Kumar Das ahead of the series against Pakistan.
After a disappointing home Test loss to Zimbabwe and a series defeat in the UAE, Bangladesh faces Pakistan next. Based on recent performances, there isn’t much hope around the team. But Liton Kumar Das speaks with no shortage of confidence. He clearly believes in their ability to beat any opponent.
Following the stunning series loss to the UAE, Bangladesh will now play three T20 matches against Pakistan. The first match will be held on Wednesday at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, starting at 9 PM Bangladesh time.
The wounds from the UAE defeat still sting, but on the eve of the new series, Liton said the team will take the field with a fresh mindset.
“We didn’t play as well as expected in the last series. But this is a new series, a new challenge. We know where we performed badly and where we did well in the past. We will think about those and try to implement improvements on the field. Let’s see what happens,” he said.
The players faced harsh criticism after the UAE loss. Embracing that feedback, the experienced batsman outlined what the team needs to do next.
“Criticism and discussion will always happen. If you don’t play good cricket, that’s normal. But all of us are trying to figure out how to play better cricket, and we know where we went wrong. We will try to ensure those mistakes don’t happen again here. I believe our team is very balanced. We will enjoy some good matches,” he added.
Bangladesh had two days of practice in Pakistan before the series started. After Monday’s first session, head coach Phil Simmons said that despite the UAE loss, the team’s morale remains strong.
Liton and his teammates also have motivation from their past success in Pakistan. Last year in Rawalpindi, Bangladesh whitewashed Pakistan in a two-match Test series. Building on that achievement, the captain hopes to perform well in this different format too.
“This situation is completely different (from that Test series). We believe we can beat any team in the world. But we have to play good cricket. We are not focusing on the opposition. We will think about what we did well or badly in the past, and try to move forward accordingly,” Liton said.
The captain prefers not to think about the possible match or series outcome. Instead, he wants to focus on the process.
“Our expectation for this series is simple — we want to play good cricket and see if we can develop our cricket. It’s not just about results; results don’t always go your way. What matters is how you play the game. If we can follow our process, the chances of success will be higher,” he explained.
Last December, Bangladesh whitewashed West Indies on their Caribbean tour, signaling a bright future in this format. But they haven’t been able to maintain consistency since then.
The UAE loss raised questions about the team’s overall ability. Taking responsibility, Liton urged his teammates to accept the challenge of the new series.
“If we had been consistent, we might be among the world’s best teams. Since we are behind, it means there are gaps. We are working on those gaps and how to maintain consistency,” he said.
“Every series brings different challenges. The West Indies series was one kind of challenge, the UAE another. Here too, there will be challenges in all three matches. How we face and accept those challenges and perform as a team is what we need to focus on,” Liton concluded.
