The two semi-finalists for the 2025 Champions Trophy, following New Zealand’s final six-wicket thumping of Bangladesh. This refers to the competition for Pakistan and Bangladesh. Conversely, India and New Zealand have guaranteed their places in the last four and are still undefeated in the competition.
It was meant to be a must-win match between the Bangla Tigers and the Blackcaps, but the team led by Najmul Hossain Shanto didn’t play well that day. The analysts criticized the Bangladeshi performance.
Wasim Jaffer, a former Indian batter and domestic icon, was one of the experts who recently expressed his opinions on their performance.
He criticized the veteran Bangladeshi players Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim for their shot selection. He added that older players also perform poorly when under pressure at ICC events.
“I don’t know if it’s the pressure that gets to them or they put too much pressure on themselves, but they just don’t turn up,” Jaffer remarked, referring to Shakib [Al Hasan], who was a notable performer during the 2019 [ODI] World Cup.
“We’ve seen a very disappointing shot selection today,” Jaffer remarked. Mahmudullah was playing that wild shot, and Mushfiq [Mushfiqur] was playing that shot. And you have to win this game. In these types of games, you want them to step up and contribute. Unfortunately, that has been the narrative of the ICC events,” Jaffer continued.
The outcome of this game might have been entirely different if they had taken their chances: Bond, Shane
Former New Zealand bowler Shane Bond was the other expert who discussed the game. He pointed out the team’s shortcomings in fielding and batting while still applauding the bowling assault. Bond, who has coached numerous franchises and international teams, stated that Bangladesh needed to take chances in order to win the game.
“I like how their bowling attack looks. They have the left-armer [Mustafizur Rahman] and the heat, which New Zealand and a team like England lack.” The 49-year-old former cricket player remarked, “The spinners are good.”
Additionally, the narrow margins—they lost opportunities. Missing those missed catches or run-out opportunities might mean the difference between winning and losing a game. The outcome of this game might have been quite different if they had taken those chances. Their bowling attack has a lot to work with. In the end, I believe their batting was the issue,” Bond continued.
India
