Bangladesh pace bowling coach Shaun Tait said on Monday that his side must keep their approach simple as they prepare for Tuesday’s series decider against Ireland in Chattogram, with the match serving as their final T20 outing before the World Cup.
Speaking to the media, Tait also discussed his regular communication with senior fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who is currently on leave from the national team. “I saw Taskin playing in the T10,” Tait said. “I have a great relationship with him. He is an important player for us, a senior player and a good leader. We speak regularly. He is not just a fast bowler, he is a leader. Everyone follows him. It is a pleasure to work with him. I first saw him many years ago and now he is a much better player, a leader. It is a privilege to have someone like him in the squad.”
Tait was equally complimentary of Mustafizur Rahman. “Fizz is full of experience,” he said. “He keeps everything very simple. He knows his strengths. He has played all over the world. He has set high standards and people expect good performances from him. He has always performed well because that is what the best players do. From the IPL to everywhere else, teams want him because he is a quality world class player.”
With several options available, Tait welcomed the internal competition. “It is a good thing that we have to pick a few from a lot of players,” he said. “For the first time in Bangladesh cricket, we probably have so many high quality bowlers to choose from. Every bowler knows the level of competition. When the numbers increase, so does the competition.”
Bangladesh levelled the series with a four wicket win in the second T20, and Tait believes that momentum can be carried into the deciding fixture. “We do not need to complicate our thinking,” he said. “I think we should just focus on playing good cricket and winning the match. When you win any international match, you take confidence from it.”
He added that the squad should use the belief generated from Sunday’s victory. “The best thing we can do is take confidence from the last match and use it tomorrow,” he said. “Hopefully we will win.”
Tait also hopes Bangladesh can carry that confidence into the T20 World Cup. “After the series we will have a bit of a break,” he said. “But that confidence will stay with us. If we get a win, that is the best thing. I do not think we need to make things too complicated right now.”
The former Australia quick expects a strong contest regardless of the opposition. “Ireland have played some good cricket,” he said. “They have good players and look like a well organised T20 team. We wanted a good challenge. Our next mission is the World Cup, and there is no bigger stage in T20 cricket.”
Bangladesh have been drawn with England, West Indies, Nepal and Italy for the 2026 T20 World Cup, a group that Tait believes changes little about their preparation. “The opposition does not matter much,” he said. “We have to play good cricket. Whether it is Ireland, Australia or West Indies, we need to play well. This series is preparation, then the BPL and practice matches, then the World Cup. That is our preparation.”
