Bangladesh’s stand-in ODI captain, Towhid Hridoy, acknowledged on Wednesday, October 21, that his team has consistently struggled to translate their tactical discussions into on-field results, particularly when playing away from home. The assessment follows a disappointing seven-wicket loss to Afghanistan in the UAE, a defeat that officially eliminated Bangladesh from the ongoing tri-nation tournament and secured a final berth for Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Hridoy admitted, “We haven’t been able to turn our words into actions to be very honest.” He noted that the squad has faced significant challenges abroad for the past 18 months, struggling to adapt to diverse conditions. Statistical evidence highlights this decline, with Bangladesh managing only two victories in 16 away ODIs over the last two years, a streak that also includes five consecutive losses to Afghanistan. I think it is important to adapt to outside conditions very quickly and at the same time to act according to what the match and the situation demands and it won’t be enough just by saying it,” he said.
Hridoy defended the team’s core capabilities, citing their home success against major nations like Australia, New Zealand, and Pakistan as evidence of their potential. “I certainly agree that we aren’t doing well outside the country and this has been going on for almost a year and a half.
He attributed the current slump largely to a lack of consistency within the batting unit during foreign tours. “Our batting unit in the matches we’ve played away recently batted very badly consistently, and that’s why the whole team is struggling,” he explained, emphasizing that while domestic form remains strong, the transition to international venues remains a hurdle. I feel that’s something we lack a bit,” he added.
Addressing the root causes of their recent collapses, Hridoy pointed to a need for improved mindset and game awareness. He argued that a defensive approach is rarely successful at the international level and suggested that the team often suffers from collective pressure. When wickets fall in quick succession, the players struggle to stabilize the innings, an issue he believes stems from a lack of individual match-winners who can anchor the team through difficult periods. So there are some areas where we need to develop when we play abroad,” he said.
“It is important for one or two players to take responsibility and lift the team from a bad position to a good one,” Hridoy stated. He noted that every successful side possesses cricketers with the self-belief to turn around games under pressure, a quality he feels is currently missing from the Bangladesh lineup. Moving forward, the captain emphasized that the squad must prioritize better planning and tactical adaptation to avoid repeating these comprehensive batting failures in future overseas assignments.
