Bangladesh's cricketers often say, "If the team doesn't win, my runs mean nothing." But deep down, how many of them truly believe that? Through their on-field antics and off-field comments, the players often fail to justify that statement.
A case in point is Mahmudullah Riyad's infamous century celebration in Mumbai during the 2023 World Cup, even though Bangladesh were heading toward a certain defeat against South Africa. It appeared as if he wanted to answer months of criticism through that celebration. A similar pattern has been visible with Tawhid Hridoy over the past couple of years.
In the first T20I against Ireland, when Bangladesh were clearly on the path to defeat and Hridoy reached his fifty, the sight of teammates in the dugout raising both hands high to applaud him was striking.
Regardless, Hridoy's knock—an unbeaten 50-ball 83—deserves praise, especially as he stood as the lone warrior in a game where most batters failed even to reach double digits. Hridoy probably had very little to lose when he went out to bat, with the Tigers tottering at five for three in the fourth over while chasing a 182-run target. He certainly exceeded expectations, helping Bangladesh avoid the humiliation of getting bundled out under 100 or suffering an even heavier defeat.
However, how he and his teammates reacted after a knock that only helped them save face raises the question of whether the innings meant more to them than the outcome of the game.
Hridoy had been short of runs, and criticism had been coming his way from all directions in recent days. Although he remained composed in his celebration, once he came to the post-match press conference after playing the best innings of his T20 career, his body language and tone of speech barely concealed the bottled-up arrogance. In fact, in certain sentences, he did not hesitate to take a jab at his critics. And who doesn't know that the tone of a sentence often shapes its meaning?
His career-best and only century in ODIs came in a similar situation. The difference was that it wasn't during a run chase. In the Champions Trophy, after Bangladesh were reduced to 35 for five against India, Hridoy and Jaker Ali rescued the innings, with Hridoy scoring 100 off 118 balls and taking the total to 228. On a good batting wicket, this was never going to be enough; the contest never came alive. His celebration after that century was truly eye-catching. Hridoy may argue that he did what he could—if others failed, what more was he supposed to do? Perhaps the numbers don't lie.
But the question remains: how much do personal celebrations resonate nowadays when the team isn't in a strong position? There was a time when Bangladesh's cricketing narrative revolved around individual achievements. The failure to accomplish something significant as a team would be masked by individual brilliance. Honourable defeats, or losses after putting up a fight, no longer carry emotional appeal. When the team is in a bleak situation, individual accomplishments cannot soothe the wound.
Even if the asking rate climbs to 13 or 14 runs per over in a chase, the team still needs to keep going for it. Staying safe, avoiding risk, and scoring at eight or nine an over may reduce the margin of defeat and make individual numbers look good—but what does the team gain? A defeat by 80 runs is still a defeat; losing by 30 runs is a defeat all the same.
Numbers can flatter, but they cannot disguise the result. And Bangladesh's results will only change when the intent does.
