Litton eyes bloom as Bangladesh return to T20 fold

Bangladesh's T20 side has come a long way in the last 18 months or so.

Under Litton Das, the shortest format of the game in this country received a big boost, as they have won four series out of the eight Bangladesh played. The Tigers also made it to the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup.

Players like Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, and Shamim Hossain Patwary rose to the occasion alongside the captain himself, who pushed for a quicker-scoring approach to match the demands of modern T20 cricket.

The team's main strength, however, has been its spin and pace bowling attack.

Alongside leg spinner Rishad Hossain, experienced finger spinners Nasum Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz have been consistent performers for Bangladesh during that period, while the pace attack has also done remarkably well, led by Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.

Fierce competition among the pacers has also brought out the best in that department.

But since Bangladesh did not play in the T20 World Cup, citing security concerns, it remained untested just how far the team had actually come as a T20 side.

Giving up the opportunity to play in a World Cup was a significant setback, one that took a heavy toll on some of the players.

Litton, whose captaincy tenure was also extended during this period, stated that they have "definitely" moved on from that setback and are ready to look forward to their next assignment against New Zealand in Chattogram — a venue where, five months ago, Bangladesh played their last T20 match.

"I definitely think we have moved on. Right after that World Cup period, we played a tournament where the players tried to play good cricket. The biggest thing is, in international cricket, every game is extremely important for every player. I believe they will think that way and take the field with the winning mindset required to play for Bangladesh," he said on Sunday, ahead of the first T20 match in the three-match series.

While there is no immediate tournament or world event ahead for Bangladesh in the format, Litton wants to maintain the continued improvement of the players individually and as a team.

"One thing is that we are playing the T20 format again after a long time. Initially, we don't want to put any extra pressure on anyone. Let them play. After a game or two, everyone will automatically understand their roles, because getting used to the setup is a factor," he noted.

"The good news is that the nine T20s we have this year are all against good teams, and the series are back-to-back. This is a positive sign; once we get going, the subsequent series will become comparatively easier for us," he added.

"The thing is, our main goal is the 2028 World Cup, and we know it won't be held in Asia. So we will plan accordingly. Since we had great team bonding and our preparation for the last World Cup was very good, I will try to hold onto this team and build from there," he explained.

Abdul Gaffar Saqlain and Ripon Mondol are the new inclusions in the T20 squad, as key pacers Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, and Nahid Rana have all been rested.

"Overall, it's good. I feel that we always play with six genuine batsmen. Alongside them, Rishad and Mahedi Hasan can both bat. Among the pace bowlers, we have Sakib (Tanzim Hasan), Saifuddin, and Taskin has joined anew too. So overall, I think it's a very balanced side," he stated.

While Litton wanted to maintain a stable team heading into the last World Cup, he now wants to give fringe players the opportunity to grow.

"It's easy to rotate the bowlers. Those who are not in the squad are big assets for Bangladesh cricket. I don't want them to be worn down by playing continuous cricket, because, as you know, we have a lot of one-dayers and Test matches ahead," Litton said.

"So from that point of view, we've started to change some things. As the World Cup is still far ahead, there is enough time to develop the players. This is the perfect opportunity to give them some matches," he added.

Litton also stressed the importance of grooming the next Mustafizur, or a bowler of similar calibre.

"It's not easy to fill his gap. But if he's injured, someone else has to step up. So the more time these players get, the more they will develop and can begin to close the gap with Mustafiz," he concluded.