Bangladesh has been eliminated from the Champions Trophy. After losing to India, the Tigers also suffered a defeat against New Zealand in a do-or-die match. Veteran cricketers Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad failed to perform against the Kiwis, drawing criticism from former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer.
Pointing out that senior players fail to deliver in ICC events, Jaffer, who once coached Bangladesh’s U-19 team, said, “We have only seen Shakib perform exceptionally in the 2019 ODI World Cup. I don’t know if it’s due to pressure or if they take too much pressure on themselves, but they just don’t seem to perform.”
Speaking on ESPN Cricinfo’s Match Day show, Jaffer criticized Bangladesh’s overreliance on senior players. He said, “The shot selection today was also very disappointing. The shot Mushfiq played, Mahmudullah’s reckless shot—this was a must-win game. In such matches, you expect them to step up and lead the team to victory. But unfortunately, this has become Bangladesh’s recurring story in ICC events.”
Jaffer believes Bangladesh could have scored 300+ runs against New Zealand. He said, “On that pitch, they could have easily scored over 300. Bangladesh’s batters should blame themselves. Expecting the bowlers to bowl New Zealand out for under 240 was asking too much.”
