Najmul Hossain Shanto has called for better, more sporting pitches in Mirpur after Bangladesh’s convincing victory over Ireland in Sylhet. The Bangladesh captain praised the balanced wicket that delivered a four-day result and hinted that the surfaces at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium must now follow suit.
Mirpur’s pitches have repeatedly drawn criticism in recent years. While conditions at times improve during the Bangladesh Premier League, batters generally struggle for fluency, and the surface once again came under scrutiny during the Bangladesh–West Indies ODI series in October, where slow, turning wickets dominated the narrative.
Bangladesh defeated Ireland by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test in Sylhet, taking a 1–0 lead in the two-match series. The second Test begins on 19 November in Mirpur. Speaking after the match, Shanto praised the Sylhet wicket and delivered a pointed message without naming Mirpur outright: “We don’t want spinning wickets. We want to play on sporting wickets. Here in Sylhet, the wicket looked excellent throughout the four days.”
Bangladesh needed only one innings, declaring on 587 for 8. Openers Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Shadman Islam added 168 off 248 balls, giving the team its first century opening stand in 197 days. “The opening partnership was fantastic. Hopefully it continues,” Shanto said.
Hasan Murad, who had previously played just two T20Is during the 2023 Asian Games, made his Test debut and impressed with six wickets, including 4 for 60 in Ireland’s second innings. Shanto said the young left-arm spinner deserves more opportunities: “Murad hasn’t had enough chances. He waited a long time. He has done very well in first-class cricket and showed today what a good bowler he is.”
The match also marked Test debuts for Ireland’s Jordan Neill and Cad Carmichael, while Mushfiqur Rahim is set to play his 100th Test when the series moves to Mirpur.
