Bangladesh captain Liton Kumar Das was not fully pleased with his team’s performance despite winning the first match against the United Arab Emirates.
While wickets kept falling at one end, Parvez Hossain remained composed. Between overs 15 and 17, he launched a flurry of boundaries and sixes, adding 46 runs to the scoreboard. But in the final three overs, Bangladesh couldn’t even score half of that. Though they had set the stage for a 200+ total, they fell short. After the match, Liton expressed concern over the team’s finishing with the bat.
At the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday night, none of the Bangladeshi batters, apart from Parvez, could stay at the crease for long. The left-handed opener smashed 100 runs off 54 balls, hitting a record nine sixes. No other batter managed to cross the 20-run mark.
It was largely Parvez’s lone effort that took Bangladesh to a total of 191. At the halfway mark, the team had crossed 100 runs in just 10 overs and seemed well on track to reach 200. Even at the end of the 17th over, the score was 169 for 5.
Parvez was still at the crease with Shamim Hossain, a left-hander known for impactful cameos in T20s. Expectations were high once again, but Shamim couldn’t deliver this time.
Parvez, who had been batting since the beginning, also couldn’t find the boundary in the final overs. As a result, Bangladesh managed only 22 runs in the last three overs — seven of which came from extras — and just two boundaries were hit during that period.
At the post-match presentation, Liton praised Parvez’s incredible batting but also expressed disappointment with the way the innings ended:
“It was definitely a good score. The wicket was great for batting. The way (Parvez Hossain) Emon batted — it was brilliant. But we have to finish better. We couldn’t score much in the last three overs.”
Despite setting a strong target close to 200, Bangladesh found themselves under pressure during the UAE innings. Mohammad Wasim and Rahul Chopra formed a solid partnership, and Asif Khan’s quick runs created momentum for the hosts.
By the 13th over, UAE were 131 for 3. They needed just 61 runs from 42 balls, putting them in a strong position. But Bangladesh bounced back, taking the remaining seven wickets for just 33 runs in the final seven overs.
Liton said he had full faith in his bowlers:
“Definitely, all credit to the bowlers. I knew my bowlers could make a comeback at any moment. I trust the strength of our bowling unit.”
He didn’t forget to give credit to the UAE batters either, who made the match competitive:
“The UAE batters played really well. They deserve credit for how they batted in the middle overs. We also need to focus on our bowling. We have to learn what kind of bowling works best on this pitch and ground.”
Before leaving for the series, Liton had said he wanted to see performances from his players that match the demands of the situation. While the batters didn’t fully deliver, the bowlers — especially Mustafizur Rahman and Tanzim Hasan — met the captain’s expectations.
Liton praised his bowlers again:
“We’ll definitely carry this confidence into the next match. Everyone bowled with composure. At one point in the middle overs, it felt like it could go either way. But the way the bowlers performed — it was outstanding.”
Throughout the match, a large crowd of Bangladeshi expatriate fans in Sharjah filled the stands, passionately cheering for their team. Century-maker Parvez thanked the supporters during the innings break.
Liton echoed the same sentiment after the match:
“Whenever we play, our fans come out and support us in the stadium. It’s truly something special.”
The final match of the series will be played on Monday at the same venue.
