Bangladesh's Champions Trophy failure: A transition phase or deeper concerns?

Bangladesh traveled to the ICC Champions Trophy with high hopes, only to return home with a single point, courtesy of an abandoned game against Pakistan.

Their performances against India and New Zealand exposed their vulnerabilities on the global stage, particularly in the 50-over format, which was considered their strength not long ago.

This tournament could mark the end of the ICC event journey for senior duo Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, but only time will tell what lies ahead for them.

Bangladesh is undoubtedly in a transition phase, missing the services of senior players Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. Their absence was felt more than anything else throughout the tournament, but there's more to Bangladesh's struggles. Cricbuzz delves into the key reasons behind their failure.

Dot Balls

The biggest flaw in Bangladesh's batting was their failure to rotate the strike, resulting in a staggering 340 dot balls in their first two games: 159 against India and 181 against New Zealand. While other teams approached innings with a 300-plus mindset, Bangladesh struggled to build momentum, which was frequently punctuated by dot balls in nearly every over.

Tanzid Tamim's failure to seize the opportunity

The Bangladesh selectors backed Tanzid over Litton Das, but the move didn't pay off. Despite getting starts in both games, he failed to capitalize, scoring 25 and 24 against India and New Zealand respectively. Big players convert such starts into substantial scores, but the left-hander appeared to squander his chances due to overambition. Tasked with filling the shoes of veteran Tamim Iqbal, Tanzid's approach raised questions about his mindset; modern-day openers simply cannot afford to throw away starts between 20 and 30 runs.

Mehidy Hasan's failure to take the lead role

Mehidy was expected to lead both with bat and ball in Shakib Al Hasan's absence, but he failed to deliver. He went wicketless in both games and struggled at No. 4, scoring just 5 and 13. The off-spinner lacked penetration and could take a lesson from New Zealand's Michael Bracewell, who single-handedly dismantled Bangladesh's batting lineup in their must-win clash. Mehidy's