Bangladesh face the rare challenge of playing on consecutive days in the Asia Cup Super Four, but pace bowling coach Shaun Tait insists the side have no complaints about the demanding schedule.
Sri Lanka’s six-wicket win over Afghanistan in the final Group B match not only booked their own place in the Super Four but also confirmed Bangladesh’s progression. Litton Das’s men now face Sri Lanka first on 20 September in Dubai, before meeting India on 24 September and Pakistan just 24 hours later on 25 September. They are the only team in the stage without a rest day between games.
Speaking in Dubai on 19 September, Tait dismissed concerns about fixture congestion:
“We have to accept the situation as it is. That’s the schedule. We’ll practise and play the next day. In modern cricket there’s recovery, data, strength and conditioning coaches. Personally, I don’t think too much about these things. This is international cricket, and we’ll try to play our best cricket.”
Bangladesh struggled badly against Sri Lanka in their group meeting last week in Abu Dhabi, where both openers Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Parvez Hossain Emon were dismissed for ducks. The side went 13 balls without scoring before eventually losing by six wickets as Sri Lanka chased 140 with 32 deliveries to spare. Reflecting on that defeat, Tait was quick to move on:
“It’s a new day. The beauty of such tournaments is that matches come quickly. Playing again quickly is a good chance to forget the past and focus on the next game.”
Among the players under focus will be Mustafizur Rahman. The left-arm pacer was expensive in the earlier Sri Lanka clash, conceding 35 runs from three overs without a wicket. Yet he redeemed himself on 16 September against Afghanistan, dismissing Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Ghazanfar in a match-winning spell. Tait expressed confidence in him ahead of the Dubai fixture:
“His recent performances have been good. Hopefully, he will do well on Dubai’s pitch. He has played here before and has great experience. I don’t really need to say much about his bowling.”
Despite defeats to stronger sides in recent months, Tait stressed that Bangladesh’s preparation and support systems would help them cope with both the workload and the pressure:
“You have to give your best. The schedule is the schedule. It has to be accepted. Hopefully, we will play good cricket.”
