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“The dropped catches, you know. When situation comes, you have to do things 100%”
Bangladesh captain was left disappointed with the crucial missed chances at a crucial stage in the second ODI against New Zealand in Christchurch. The home side went on to win the game by five wickets, after they recovered from 53 for 3 chasing 272, and surviving two dropped catches in the space of eight balls with as the game got closer.
Wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim started the rot when he dropped Jimmy Neesham’s straightforward edge off Taskin Ahmed in the 36th over. In the following over, Mahedi Hasan dropped an easy caught and bowled chance from Tom Latham, who was on 58. New Zealand needed 91 runs in the remaining 13.3 overs at this point.
Iqbal, who himself ran out Devon Conway just a couple of overs before the dropped catches, said that they could have seen a different story unfold had the catches been taken.
“We should’ve won this game,” Iqbal said. “The bowlers created chances, we couldn’t hold on. The dropped catches, you know. When situation comes, you have to do things 100%. Disappointed today. Batters did really well. It was a different surface, a bit slow, 271 was a decent score. And when the chances came, we couldn’t hold on. Quite disappointing.”
Iqbal said that Bangladesh are no longer being impressed by their improved performances, but want to win games, and look forward to taking the third ODI in Wellington seriously.
“(Mohammad) Mithun was fantastic, Mushi (Mushfiqur Rahim) as well. Anyway, I thought it was a much improved game. We are not here to improve our cricket but to win. See people will drop catches. It hurts. If we took our two chances, it was game on.
“People don’t miss catches willingly, it happens to everyone. When the next chance comes, we need to grab with both hands. We just have to be positive in Wellington and give a crack to them again,” he said.
There is likely to be renewed calls for Rahim to give up the wicketkeeping after yet another crucial dropped chance. The calls were at their loudest during the 2019 World Cup when he botched an important run-out against New Zealand. Rahim has already given up the gloves in Tests where Liton Das now keeps wickets.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
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