‘Don’t know the name of the shot, but I always practice it in the nets’

Bangladesh batter Shamim Hossain’s improvised shot -- which sailed over the New Zealand wicketkeeper for six in the first T20I in Chattogram -- has been one of the standout moments of the three-match series so far.

It reflected the kind of intent and improvisation long sought in Bangladesh’s T20 approach. Interestingly, Shamim revealed that he does not even know the name of the shot.

“I don't know the name of the shot, but I always practice it in the nets. I know that when I go out to bat, I like playing improvised shots, so I work on them quite a lot,” Shamim said during a press conference ahead of the third and series-deciding T20I tomorrow. He was also seen practising the same shot in the nets.

What made the stroke more remarkable was the nature of the delivery. It came off a bouncer from Nathan Smith, with Shamim reading the pace well. His head remained steady, the execution was perfect, and the follow-through was clean -- as it often is for a well-timed straight drive.

Explaining his thought process, Shamim said: “When I go out to bat, the fielding setup is a bit different, and that acts as a benefit.”

He added that he always carries a positive mindset when batting and looks to score quickly if the opportunity arises. The shot in question came off just the third ball of his innings.

“Whenever I go in to bat, I try to stay positive. If a ball is there to be hit, I go for it. If I can score quickly, it benefits the team,” he said.

Shamim also credited T20I skipper Litton Das for allowing him the freedom to play his natural game. “Yes, absolutely. Litton bhai always tells me to play freely,” he added.

Shamim, alongside Towhid Hridoy, played a key role in Bangladesh’s successful chase of a 180-plus target in the first T20I, sealing the win with two overs to spare and six wickets in hand. Their partnership highlighted Bangladesh’s growing ability to accelerate through the middle overs -- an area the team has been working to improve.

“I think T20 cricket should be played this way. Otherwise, we won’t be able to win big matches,” Shamim said.

New Zealand’s Dean Foxcroft also acknowledged Shamim’s impact and said the visitors have since prepared plans to counter him in the decider.

“He played a magnificent knock at the back end, putting our death bowlers under pressure. That’s an area we need to improve. That shot was incredible. A lot of the guys hadn’t played against him before, but we’ve now done our scouting and hope to come up with a better plan tomorrow,” Foxcroft said.

The second T20I in Chattogram was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain, and there are concerns over conditions ahead of the final match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Overnight rain was followed by showers in the morning, although some sunshine appeared later in the afternoon.

“The last game was rained out, so this gives us an opportunity to come here and hopefully level the series. The mood in the camp is still positive,” Foxcroft said.

“We’ve had time to reflect on the first T20I. We did a lot of things well, but there are areas -- in both batting and bowling -- where we need to improve. We’ve discussed those as a team and had our training sessions. Hopefully, we can be ready for tomorrow,” he added.