Photo: BCB

DHAKA, July 16, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin has criticized the team's batters for their recurring mistakes after they suffered a defeat in the three-match T20 International series opening game against Zimbabwe.

Bangladesh's batting unit failed to adapt to the match situation and the conditions, allowing Zimbabwe to take control of the contest. 

Salahuddin said the repeated errors reflected the players' inability to learn from previous failures.

"We go into every match to win. However, our batters have to be more tactical against certain bowlers,” Salahuddin told the reporters yesterday in Bulawayo.

“Only then will we be able to do well. But we are constantly making the same mistakes. This means we are not learning even after making mistakes. We have to adapt to the situation,” he said.

The coach also questioned the team's slow adaptation to Zimbabwean conditions despite spending nearly a month in the country.

"We have been here for 20 to 25 days. It is important to adapt to the conditions. If we still say we have not been able to adjust, then that is not a good sign at all. The batters need to get used to these conditions as soon as possible," he said.

Salahuddin singled out Zimbabwe pacers Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani for their impact throughout the tour, saying Bangladesh had struggled against the pair since the Test and ODI series.

"I think we have not been able to deal with Ngarava and Muzarabani well since the Test and ODI series. They have made a difference throughout the tour. We need to plan better on how to handle them," he said.

Highlighting their physical attributes, Salahuddin said the two fast bowlers extracted extra bounce from the surface and posed a significant challenge for Bangladesh's batters.

"These two Zimbabwean bowlers are very tall, so they can generate extra bounce from any wicket. Our main concern before the next match should be how to handle these two because they took eight wickets in the first match," he added.

Bangladesh will look to level the series in the second T20I, with improving their approach against Zimbabwe's pace attack expected to be a key focus.