Bangladesh's all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan, couldn't hide his disappointment and admitted he was baffled by his team's performance. They were comprehensively outplayed by the USA in the three-match T20I series, who secured a historic maiden series victory against an ICC full member nation.
The USA sealed the deal with consecutive wins, the latest being a narrow six-run triumph in the second T20I played in Houston on Thursday.
"Naturally, it's a bitter pill to swallow," Shakib conceded after the match. "We weren't anticipating this outcome at all. The USA team deserves all the plaudits for their outstanding performance."
"This defeat is undoubtedly a setback. We're disappointed by any loss, but to lose twice to the USA is a significant blow to our confidence. Quite frankly, we haven't been firing on all cylinders. But having said that we have to play the World Cup and this series might be a wake-up call for us as we haven't played the way we want to play."
"It's a team game and everyone has to take the responsibility - you win as a team and you lose as a team. I don't want to blame any particular person or any particular department. It's just that T20 is such a format you have to play very good cricket in all three departments to win against any team. There are no small or big teams in T20 cricket and that's why it is more exciting than any other format. And the proof of that is in the last two games the way US played."
Despite the loss, Shakib insisted that they did not take the opposition lightly. "I don't think we took them lightly. In the first game maybe we couldn't do what we wanted to do and in the second game exactly the same thing happened - we couldn't execute the plans that we were supposed to do on the ground.
"In T20 every team is very much equal. I have seen the game between West Indies A and Nepal and they really played well and you are seeing games between Ireland and Netherlands and they are playing very close matches. Pakistan lost to Ireland and in T20 it is anybody's game. It is on the day who performs better, and so you cannot take anything lightly in T20 cricket because one or two overs can change the momentum of the game and completely change the scenario of the game. That's why you are always up for the challenges and you cannot take anything lightly or anything for granted," he said.
When questioned about the possibility of mental factors contributing to the losses, Shakib remained tight-lipped. "I can't say for certain. If I had the answer, I would have conveyed it to the team, and the results would likely have been different."
Shakib, with a hint of his trademark cheek, responded to a query about whether this loss to a lower-ranked opponent could negatively impact the Tigers' performance in the upcoming T20 World Cup, which kicks off on June 2nd (Bangladesh time) across the USA and West Indies."It's certainly a possibility," he admitted, "but equally, it might not have a lasting effect." The former Bangladesh captain also acknowledged that their preparations haven't been optimal since arriving in the USA.
The series concludes with the third and final match on Saturday at the same venue.
There, Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka in their T20 World Cup opener on June 8th.
