NEW DELHI: Najmul Hossain Shanto, the captain of Bangladesh, strongly criticized his team's batting display at the T20 World Cup, calling it 'unacceptable' on Monday.
Bangladesh narrowly secured the final spot in the Super Eights second round stage after surviving a close call against Nepal, who fell short while chasing a mere 107 on Sunday.
Despite being renowned for their skilled wristy stroke players, Bangladesh has only one batsman ranked among the top 20 in the tournament.
Towhid Hridoy has accumulated 95 runs over four innings, while former captain Shakib Al Hasan is the sole player to have scored a half-century.
In their defeat against group winners South Africa, Bangladesh came up short by just four runs while pursuing a target of only 114.
"It's not happening and it is not acceptable," AFP quoted skipper Shanto.
"It is not possible that every day the bowlers will make the team win. I hope they make us win every day, that's what I hope for but the batsmen also have a responsibility.
"And why it is not happening, everyone is trying to find out. To be very honest, I think the wicket is not the issue. It is definitely a reason for us to worry."
Bangladesh's bowlers have consistently rescued the team throughout the tournament, with four of them ranking among the top 20 wicket-takers before the final two matches of the first round group stage on Monday.
Tanzim Hasan Shakib, a fast bowler, has taken nine wickets, with his best performance being 4-7. Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed, both seamers, have each claimed seven wickets.
Rishad Hossain, a 21-year-old leg-spinner like Tanzim, has also secured seven wickets, contributing to the team's success.
"We have to come out of this and we have to think about how to come out of this. We plan and think about this all the time," added Shanto.
"I hope that we can reduce these mistakes in the next round."
Bangladesh is all set to compete in the Super Eights stage, where they will encounter formidable opponents. Their first match is against Australia in Antigua on Thursday, followed by a clash with India at the same venue on Saturday.
The team will then travel to Saint Vincent for their final Super Eights encounter against Afghanistan on June 24.
