Bangladesh wrapped up the three-match T20I series in Mirpur with a game to spare, edging Afghanistan twice in two days to move 2-0 ahead. Coach Phil Simmons called the cricket “exciting, aggressive” and, despite a few frayed nerves, sounded satisfied with how different parts of the side are beginning to click.
“It’s good that we are doing that, but it’s not good for any of us our hearts,” he said after the second victory. The top order wobbled on both occasions, yet the middle and lower middle held firm. In the opener, six wickets tumbled for nine runs against Rashid Khan before Nurul Hasan and Rishad Hossain saw the chase home. Twenty-four hours later, three down in the powerplay, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain and Nurul pieced together 82 runs to guide a second successful pursuit.
Simmons was keen to highlight that recovery act. “Yesterday the openers showed what they are made of, and today, the lower middle order showed what they are made of,” he said. “The way we want to play is exciting, aggressive cricket, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Nurul’s unbeaten 31, added to his cool finish in the first match, has been crucial. Jaker’s 32 from 25 balls – his first meaningful score in four innings – also eased a few concerns. The coach, though, never sounded worried. “When you look around the world, international batsmen fail a couple of times. I don’t see any problem; he had a couple of bad games, and that’s normal with batsmen. Cricket is like that.”
While the batting grabbed headlines, the bowlers arguably sealed the series. Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin conceded only 35 in the powerplay and 40 at the death in game two, stifling Afghanistan at both ends. “I think our bowling has been improving consistently, and it is at a stage now where we know we can depend on our bowling, whatever combination we use,” Simmons observed. “I think our bowling has been that good over the last five, six, or seven weeks. It is part of our growth.”
The coach likes the current balance: Shoriful’s new-ball nip, Nasum’s left-arm spin through the middle, Saifuddin’s cutters at the close. Each phase has had a plan, and so far the execution has been solid rather than spectacular, which suits Simmons just fine. “The bowling has put us in this position for the last two games,” he concluded. “Yesterday, they started really well, and we pulled them back. Today, they started well, but we bowled well in the middle and especially at the end.”
With the series already in the bag, Bangladesh may rotate for the final match. Yet Simmons’ message remains simple: keep the foot down, keep learning, and keep that aggressive intent – even if it does little for the collective heart rate.
