Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz admitted that they were not learning from their mistakes after they were clean swept by Afghanistan following their crushing 200-run defeat in the third and final ODI of the series at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
This was Bangladesh鈥檚 fourth biggest margin of defeat in terms of runs against any opposition.
Chasing 293, the Mehidy-led Bangladesh were all out for just 93 runs in 27.1 overs鈥攖heir lowest against Afghanistan鈥攁fter losing their last seven wickets for a mere 23 runs.
Apart from Saif Hassan, who top-scored with 43 off 54, no other batter could reach double figures, as they all looked clueless against the pace of Bilal Sami鈥攚ho was playing just his second ODI鈥攁s well as the familiar spin tormentor, Rashid Khan.
Sami claimed his maiden five-wicket haul as he took 5-33 runs, while Rashid registered a figure of 3-12 in six overs. In the process, Rashid brought his series wickets tally to 11, the joint highest by any bowler in a three-match series in history.
鈥楩irstly, we have to accept the fact that we have played bad cricket as a batting unit. If the batters don鈥檛 take responsibility, it will definitely make the team suffer,鈥� Mehidy said after their loss.
鈥業 feel we need to take more responsibility. Ultimately, if we can鈥檛 put runs on the board, we can鈥檛 win matches, regardless of the conditions,鈥� he added.
Mehidy also admitted that they were making the same mistakes again and again.
鈥榃e have lost three consecutive matches, and it shows we are not learning quickly enough from one match to the next or not working on the areas we need to improve,鈥� he said.
He also said despite the team鈥檚 dearth in quality that they needed to move on with the players they had got.
鈥極f course, there are shortcomings. If there weren鈥檛, it wouldn鈥檛 be happening repeatedly. However, at the end of the day, we have to move forward with the players we have,鈥� said Mehidy.
鈥榃e have to improve the areas that need improving as a batting unit; otherwise, we will always struggle. We were never a team that played this badly, nor are we that bad of a team, but we are playing worse than we are. If we don鈥檛 improve and keep repeating the same mistakes, it will get much tougher for us,鈥� he added.
Mehidy then mentioned that playing 50 overs would become their priority in the upcoming series.
鈥業n a 50-over match, our target is definitely to play all 50 overs. We couldn鈥檛 do that in the last few ODIs. So, we are planning on how to play the full 50 overs,鈥� he said.
The team returned from the UAE on Wednesday but would have little time to refresh, as the three-match ODI series against the West Indies starts on October 18.聽
