World Cup 2023: I am playing in different positions due to team combination – Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz has revealed he is playing in different positions due to team combination. Hasan’s batting position has been continuously changed by the team management and thus he feels the lack of a stable batting spot has led to his inconsistent performances.

Miraz batted at number eight against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Tuesday and scored 25 runs from 30 balls. Eventually, Bangladesh was dismissed for 204 and suffered a huge loss of seven wickets, which knocked them out of the semifinal race.

Hasan has batted at number three, four, five, and seven in the previous six games for Bangladesh in the ongoing World Cup. In fact, the right-hander has always batted in the lower middle order but his position has been continuously altered.

The right-hander has scored 167 runs in seven matches of the ongoing World Cup at an average of 24.14 and a strike rate of 74.12.

“Look I always want to bat in the middle order and I am playing in different positions due to team combination and certainly it becomes difficult for me because you have to see for the last seven years I have played as a lower middle-order batter and I know how to play in that position,” Mehidy told reporters after their seven-wicket loss to Pakistan at Eden Garden on Tuesday.

“But I think rather than thinking about it if we want to prove as a batter I have to perform wherever I am given a chance and at that point team will have an expectation that I can perform wherever I bat,” he said.

“The thing that you said where I will bat in the next game it totally dependent on the team combination and, before the game, the decision is taken by team management who will bat where in the batting order and this is done for the sake of the team. Whoever can play, chances are given to him. It is just that we are not clicking and we don’t want to blame anyone like one or two guys played badly because we all played badly and we are accepting it,” he said.

Hasan revealed that Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim were promoted in the batting order because of their good form and experience. The duo added 79 runs for the fourth wicket after Bangladesh lost three early wickets for only 23 runs on the board.

“We lost wickets quickly. Riyad bhai batted up in the order because he is playing and is currently in good shape and has confidence. Considering all these things Riyad bhai and Mushfiq bhai were promoted up in the order because they have the experience of playing in that position in a lot of games. Liton da and Riyad bhai got a good partnership but if it was a bit more it would have helped,” he said.

Bangladesh will next take on Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Monday.