Mehidy Hasan Miraz - File Photo

DHAKA, Jan 29, 2025 (BSS)-Bangladesh allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz believes
Najmul Hossain Shanto who will lead the side in the upcoming Champions Trophy
in UAE and Pakistan next month will hit back to the form very soon.

Shanto of late has been experiencing a slump of form which he continued in
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), in which he scored just 56 runs in five
matches. Amongst the 56 runs, 41 runs came in one match, he scored just 15
runs in four matches.

His dip of form prompted even his BPL team Fortune Bairshal to axe him in
some matches. In total, he missed six matches, largely due to his poor run of
form.

"He (Shanto) couldn't perform as per his standard and as per the
expectation," Miraz said here today. "But there are still many matches left
for him in BPL and I hope he will get back to the kind of the form, which we
expect from him. He will have to decide how he would set himself up mentally,
how he would adapt and how he will improve from here. If he can score a few
runs before the Champions Trophy, then his confidence will be boosted up."

But if the ODI format is taken into consideration, Shanto's form was not that
perplexing. He hit a century, a half-century and two 40 plus knocks in his
last five ODI innings.

Bangladesh played in the semifinal in the last Champions Trophy in 2017,
which is so far their best achievement in any ICC event at senior level
cricket.

The question which now rose that can Bangladesh replicate the success. But
the kind of form they are going through in the ODI format, which is
considered as their strongest zone, didn't give any hopes. Bangladesh lost
ODI series to Afghanistan, that too at own den and most recently they were
completely whacked past by West Indies in Caribbean Island.

But Miraz refused to give up the hopes, saying that, ''We played the
semifinal in England in 2017. I hope we can replicate that performance."

Bangladesh are drawn in group which also includes India, Pakistan and South
Africa. After playing against India in Dubai, the team will go to Pakistan to
play two matches.

When asked about the challenges of the tournament, Miraz said, ''We have to
play in two different conditions. In Dubai, it is hot and humid. The wicket
is different too. Sometimes Dubai favours the batters, sometimes the bowlers
get the advantage."

''There will definitely be a big opportunity for us in Rawalpindi. Since we
have played two Test matches in Pakistan at the same ground. We know the
conditions. We know how the wicket will behave. It will give an extra
confidence to every player," Miraz remarked.

He also revisited his last performance in Rawalpindi, saying that he will be
motivated highly in Champions Trophy when he will play at this ground again.

"Especially Rawalpindi will give me a lot of confidence since I was the man
of the series there last time when we won Test series against Pakistan. The
wicket will be very good. It will be very challenging for the bowlers. Of
course, we bowlers will think about how we can do well there.''