Bangladesh lost the series decider against Sri Lanka by a 90 run margin while chasing a target of 286. Mehedi Hasan Miraz and company were bowled out for just 196, with 62 balls remaining in their innings. This match marked the beginning of Miraz’s journey as Bangladesh’s full time ODI captain, as Sri Lanka clinched the series 2-1.
As a full time captain, Miraz’s side lacked the experience of senior players like Mahmudullah Riyad and Mushfiqur Rahim, who have served the country for a long time. Youngsters such as Shamim Hossain Patwary and Towhid Hridoy need to step up to fill that void. Despite their lack of experience, Miraz urged everyone to give the youngsters more time to prove themselves.
At the post match presentation, Captain Miraz said, “Our team is still quite young. We have got some new players who need a bit more time to settle in. As a team, we always try to stay positive. Give this young squad some time. One day, they will surely deliver.”
Miraz also praised the bowling unit, saying, “We actually bowled really well in the last 10 overs. The wicket was good, so it was not easy to bowl. Along with Taskin and Mustafizur, the spinners also did a good job.”
However, the captain admitted that things went wrong in the batting department. “We made quite a few mistakes in our batting. There was not any big partnership in the middle, and the openers could not give us a good start either. That was our biggest problem.”