BCB chief asks players to be 'courageous' in aftermath of Netherlands loss

The fallout of Bangladesh's 87-run defeat to Netherlands was always going to be massive for all involved.

Bangladesh came into the World Cup hoping to make the semi-finals but, mathematics aside, they are out of contention with three league-stage matches left to play. An hour after the loss to Netherlands, the players waited in a queue outside Eden Gardens to get on the team bus. They stood still in the middle of a crowd of onlookers, mostly looking down.

The day after, the quiet at the team hotel was broken when BCB president Nazmul Hassan arrived with his directors around mid-day. It should be noted that the board's top brass getting involved in team matters in situations like these is common in Bangladesh.

Hassan went on to have individual meetings with various players, including captain Shakib Al Hasan, to ask about the results, and how the board could be of help. Afterwards, Hassan said everyone was baffled by the loss in batting form, but couldn't pinpoint what had gone wrong.

"Yesterday's result was unthinkable," Hassan said. "I spoke to a number of players individually today, to ask them what they are lacking, whether we can do anything for them. I spoke to Shakib, Litton [Das] and [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz individually, and Mushfiq [Mushfiqur Rahim] and [Mahmudullah] Riyad together. I asked them to speak openly. They all said that not getting runs is the problem. They don't know why this is happening. If your top five doesn't score, you won't do well.

"They told me that they are all united but they are stunned by their own form. They said that they are also disappointed at hurting their fans who are so passionate. They are the superstars of our country. They have built a long career. They are not getting runs, which is not acceptable to them too. There will be criticism of the players, coaches and board. I personally believe they can play better cricket."

Hassan said that for now the team must focus on being mentally ready for their remaining games, starting with the Pakistan fixture on October 31, also in Kolkata.

"After speaking to them, I thought they were mentally down," he said. "There's not much to do or say during a World Cup. We can't make a big change in such a tournament. We have to ensure that the players take on the next three matches courageously. They must believe in themselves. Otherwise they will be continue to be tentative and confused in their shot selection.

"We can't expect every player to do well in every game. There's one or two players who won't score runs. It is quite a normal thing in cricket. Unfortunately, we have our top four or five out of form. I haven't seen this before at this level. It is totally unexpected.

"We are not batting well. I told them to fight back. They must tell us what they need, and suggest what should be done. They have given me their word that they will sit together. They look serious to me that they want to perform. They have to be courageous."