'Disappointed' Tamim Iqbal slams Bangladesh batsmen for their approach against Afghanistan

Veteran opener Tamim Iqbal expressed disappointment in Bangladesh's approach during their last Super 8 match against Afghanistan in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Tamim Iqbal said that Bangladesh should have aggressively approached the target despite the risk of being bowled out for a low score.

The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led team suffered an 8-run loss to Afghanistan in a nail-biting encounter at the Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent on Monday, June 24 (local time). The Bangladesh team suffered three losses in the Super 8 stage and was eliminated from the tournament without advancing to the semi-finals.

The Bangla Tigers needed to chase down the target in 12.1 overs to surpass Australia's net run rate (NRR) and finish in second place in Group 1. However, they managed to score just 82 runs for the loss of seven wickets. They were bowled out for 108 runs in 17.5 overs and finished at the bottom of the Group 1 table.

Bangladesh Will Be Very Disappointed - Tamim Iqbal

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Tamim Iqbal stated that Bangladesh missed a rare opportunity to do something very special, adding that opportunities do not come around very often. Iqbal highlighted the Bangladesh team's lackluster performance in the Super 8 stage.

"Bangladesh will be very disappointed. I think Bangladesh should have gone for the chase, even if it meant getting bowled out for 70 or 80. They anyways went on to lose the match, but they had the opportunity to do something very special and these kinds of opportunities do not come around very often, especially after not winning anything in the Super 8," Tamim Iqbal said on ESPNCricinfo.

Bangladesh had the chance to chase down the target quickly and improve their net run rate. However, apart from Litton Das, other key batsmen like Tanzid Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, and captain Najmul Shanto failed to make significant contributions, with none of them reaching double figures.

Neither We Won The Game - Tamim Iqbal

The 35-year-old stated that Bangladesh showed intent in patches, but they faltered with wickets falling and lacked intent in crucial overs. Iqbal missed out on a chance to attempt a chase, adding that they neither won the game nor tried to chase it down.

"In patches, Bangladesh looked like they were going for the chase, but then wickets fell and there was less intent in the batting in few of the overs. At least if they had tried to chase it down and lost by 30-40 runs, people would have understood that there was an opportunity and we tried and we failed, but that is fine. Neither we won the game, and neither did we try to chase it down," Tamim added.

Afghanistan secured their spot in the semi-finals after defeating Bangladesh, joining India, South Africa, and England in the 2024 T20 World Cup knockout stage. The two semi-final matches will be played on June 27 (India time), with the final scheduled for Saturday at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.

Also read: "Hits-and-runs in the Caribbean" - Delhi Police brutally mocks Australia after India buries them in St Lucia