Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has acknowledged that their shocking series defeat against the USA is a reminder that they need to improve ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The 37-year-old credited the USA for defeating Bangladesh in two consecutive games.

In what may have been their greatest series victory in cricket history, the USA defeated Bangladesh in the second T20I on Thursday. After chasing down 154 in the first T20I, they defended a modest 144 in the second match and handed Bangladesh a series defeat.

“The US team’s performance has been impressive, and their victories against us were unexpected. Losing two games is disappointing. However, this series may serve as a wake-up call, reminding us to play to our full potential as we prepare for the World Cup. While the losses are disheartening, we must acknowledge the US team’s skill and use this experience to strengthen our own game,” said Shakib.

In addition, the former captain denied undervaluing the USA and insisted that poor execution was the cause of the defeats.

“We didn’t take our opponents lightly. In the first game, we were unable to implement our strategy, and the same issue occurred in the second game – we failed to execute the plans we had prepared,” he continued.

Bangladesh batters could not fire except Towhid Hridoy who smashed 58 in the first game at a strike rate of 123.4.

Shakib continued to complain about the venue’s inadequate training facilities while also criticizing the batters’ poor utilization of the optional practice session.

“Treating this as preparation for the World Cup, we needed significantly more batting and bowling practice sessions. Additionally, the facilities provided were inadequate.

We only had one proper net session, and even then, the batsmen were unable to make the most of it. Furthermore, an optional practice day was available, but the batsmen failed to take advantage of the opportunity,” he stated.

The final T20I match will be played on Saturday.

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