Renowned cricket coach and BCB director Nazmul Abedeen Fahim has commented on Bangladesh’s recent loss to South Africa, attributing it not to Mirpur’s pitch but to the team’s batting failure. Fahim believes that the pitch at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, often known for being spin-friendly, was fair in this Test, and any issues in performance lay with the batting lineup.

Despite building a spin-focused team for the match, the Proteas’ pacers adapted seamlessly to the conditions, with Kagiso Rabada taking full advantage of early assistance, while Bangladesh’s own pacer Hasan Mahmud showed promise. Fahim was notably disappointed to see blame shifting towards the pitch. “Was the pitch really that bad?” Fahim said, “I think it was a fair wicket; we just failed to deliver with the bat.”

Highlighting the match's conditions, Fahim continued, “We didn’t see low or sharp turns on the pitch. Rabada is a quality bowler who took advantage of early assistance. It’s worth noting the weather; there wasn’t bright sunshine, making it challenging for our batters, and we failed to adapt.” Fahim stressed the need for stronger performances in batting, as the team was expected to maintain the confidence gained from their recent Pakistan tour.

Reflecting on how Bangladesh could have better managed their innings, Fahim concluded, “If we had played cautiously in the first two sessions, we could have capitalized in the third session, which we did to some extent. The wicket wasn’t bad; it was our batting that fell short.”