Fans slam Bangladesh after another poor display at the 2023 World Cup

Cricket News: Fans slam Bangladesh after another poor display at the 2023 World Cup | Netherlands smash Bangladesh at Kolkata

Bangladesh came into the World Cup with a host of issues. Not only was their batting of great concern, but they burnt bridges with arguably their greatest ever batsman Tamim Iqbal, sparking a public back-and-forth where players and administrators were keen to throw each other under the bus.

Despite those concerns, there was hope the Tigers could put together a good showing. After all, the tournament is played in the subcontinent which should, in theory, suit their bowling attack and give their batsmen the confidence of familar conditions.

However, their performances have been nothing short of abject, losing five consecutive matches convincingly after a decent first up win over Afghanistan. Their latest effort was a horror show against the Netherlands at Eden Gardens, falling well short of the 230-run target set thanks to a fighting knock from captain Scott Edwards.

While the bowlers lacked the finishing touch to end the Netherlands innings earlier than it did, the batsmen looked clueless against a Dutch attack that enjoyed the conditions on offer. As Bangladesh fans streamed out of the stadium at the fall of Mahmudullah’s wicket, one can only wonder as to the vision and strategy that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have in place to ensure the team competes better in ICC events. The batting still relies on Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan, with the latter so out of form and focus that the end of a glittering ODI career could sadly just be around the corner.

On the other side, the Netherlands deserve this triumph. Their response to a 309-run hammering at the hands of Australia is indicative of a team with excellent fighting spirit. Once they got a foothold in this game, there was no letting up as both the seamers and spinners kept the pressure on a Bangladeshi batting lineup that did not have the spirit or answers to counter. Paul van Meekeren led the way with 4/23, well supported by Bas de Leede (2/25) and Aryan Dutt, Logan van Beek and Colin Ackermann who all took a wicket each.

Reactions: Fans slam Bangladesh after another poor performance in the 2023 World Cup

“We should question Bangladesh’s Full Member Status and the non-Status of Netherlands,” one fan tweeted. “Bangladesh’s worst WC campaign since 2003. So much work undone,” tweeted another fan.