Bangladesh skipper laments batting woes, hints at changes after Champions Trophy exit

Bangladesh’s familiar pattern of strong bowling and underwhelming batting continued in the Champions Trophy, leaving captain Najmul Hossain Shanto frustrated. He has hinted at a possible shift in the team’s batting approach after the tournament.

The Tigers' campaign ended prematurely after two straight losses, both of which were by and large down to subpar performances with the bat. Against India in Dubai, they posted 228 runs but lost by six wickets. They managed to add 8 more runs to the total in the second Group A match against New Zealand in Rawalpindi, but that wasn't anywhere near enough against the in-form Black Caps.

Despite going out with a whimper, Bangladesh’s bowlers toiled hard in both matches despite the limited totals. At times, they even put the opposition under pressure. However, missed catches and run-out opportunities proved costly once again.

Following the team’s early exit, a disappointed Shanto acknowledged the bowlers' commendable efforts but was critical of the batting and fielding. He also stressed the need for a fundamental change in the batting mindset.

"As a captain, this is extremely frustrating. If you look at our bowling unit over the past few years, we’ve performed really well. We have some quality fast bowlers and spinners. We always wanted a wrist spinner, and now we have one," Shanto said.

"But as a batting group and in our fielding, we need significant improvement. I’ve spoken about our batting struggles many times, yet we keep making the same mistakes. We must seriously focus on how to improve. Hopefully, after this tournament, we will bring changes, explore different approaches, and try to improve our batting."

Shanto’s remarks naturally spark curiosity -- will Bangladesh move on from experienced players like Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah? Will the team recall certain players or introduce fresh faces?

However, he was quick to clarify that the change he has in mind is not about replacing players but about transforming the team’s batting mindset.

"By change, I didn’t mean replacing players. It’s about shifting our mindset -- how we can contribute better to the team, take more responsibility when batting. We have to do this ourselves. Constantly changing players -- one today, another tomorrow -- makes it even harder for the batsmen."

"We need to work with the resources we have, giving them consistent opportunities to bring about this shift and take responsibility. I feel we’ve been taking this too lightly. We need to be more accountable."

If the Tigers is are serious about making this shift, the process must start with their next limited-overs assignment -- a tour of Pakistan in May.