Tanzim Sakib Remains Hopeful Despite 57-Run Defeat Against Pakistan in 2nd T20I

Bangladesh slumped to a 57-run loss against Pakistan in the second T20I, despite a promising start in the run chase. Chasing a steep target, Bangladesh faltered once again due to frequent wicket losses, with only Tanzid Tamim and Tanzim Hasan Sakib showing resistance with the bat.

Tanzim Sakib, who scored his maiden T20I fifty (50 off 31 balls), voiced optimism about chasing big totals in T20 cricket, provided the team can preserve wickets.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Tanzim said,

“A total of 200 is very much chaseable on this kind of wicket. We’ve seen it happen in PSL as well. In the first match, as long as Litton bhai was there, we were in the game. But we kept losing wickets in clusters—and that’s where we lost the match.”

He emphasized that success in T20s hinges on wicket preservation, stating,

“The team that takes 10 wickets is more likely to win in T20s. Our batters need to play with more responsibility and focus on staying at the crease.”

Despite reaching his first international half-century, Tanzim couldn’t guide the team to victory. He explained that when he came to bat, the situation was already difficult, and his main role was to support Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

“Miraz bhai told me, ‘You stay at the crease and we can win this match.’ I tried to rotate the strike and support him. But unfortunately, we had already lost too many wickets. When you’re chasing 200, everyone needs to play their part.”

When asked about the team’s batting struggles, he defended his teammates:

“Everyone in this team is a proven player. They may be slightly out of form now, but I fully believe they will bounce back. Our biggest issue has been losing back-to-back wickets. That’s where the match slips away from us.”

Shariful Islam’s injury—which saw him bowl just 3 deliveries—was another blow. However, Tanzim praised Litton Das's captaincy in adapting to the situation:

“Litton bhai handled the injury situation well and used the part-time bowlers wisely. With Miraz bhai, my plan was to rotate strike. With Hasan bhai, we had a plan—if the ball was in the slot, we’d go for the big shots.”

Bangladesh now trails 2-0 in the series and faces the threat of a whitewash in the final T20I on Sunday in Lahore.