Shakib void difficult but not all-consuming – Mahmudullah

Bangladesh have come up short against India on each of the eight occasions they have clashed in the shortest format. Now, the absence of their two senior talisman makes their bid to set that record right that much harder, but Mahmudullah would rather have his focus on what they can do well when they take the field on Sunday, 3 November.

"You can't fill the Shakib void because he wasn't made in one day. It's built over 12 years," Mahmudullah said. "I don't think captaincy is a burden. I've done it before, when Shakib was injured [during last year’s Nidahas Trophy].

"We don't think about it [Shakib and Tamim’s absence]. Maybe the fans feel it, but for us playing well is important. We are clear that we have to play well, and that's where our focus is.

“We've been close, but we've never crossed the line. I hope we learn from past mistakes and be ready for those crunch moments in the game. We need to focus much more on our skills and execution."

Bangladesh have had a bit of a rough time in the T20I format – since January 2018, they have won eight and lost 12 matches. Only West Indies, the defending T20 World Cup champions, have a worse win/loss ratio among the top ten nations in this time.

Now, with the next edition of the flagship T20I event less than a year away, time is limited for them to regain their mojo in time for the Australia showdown, and Mahmudullah said that the onus would be on their batsmen to overturn their results.

"Our fast bowling department is experienced, and the onus is much more on our batsmen," he said. "We have to be much more consistent in our batting and we have to put big scores on the board. We need to work on getting enough runs on the board and build a foundation for our bowlers.

"The new players have our backing, and I am confident they'll do well. They are under pressure, but whenever you play international cricket, you have to walk in knowing there will be pressure. I am very hopeful that we've got it in us.

"We have a few guys who bat in the top order. There are a few players who bat in the middle order, but they can bat at the top as well. That's a good ability to have, and I am hopeful we can execute well as batsmen. I personally feel there's more pressure on the batsmen. I am not too concerned about our bowling, but at this point, our focus is on the batting unit."