Bangladesh's leading all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan, has chosen to remain silent in the face of comments from former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, who provocatively suggested that Shakib should be "embarrassed by his performances" and consider "retirement from the format."
Amidst a flurry of critiques for his lacklustre performance in the initial matches of the ongoing T20 World Cup, Shakib made a resounding comeback with the willow during Bangladesh's pivotal 25-run victory over the Netherlands at Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown this past Thursday.
Shakib's steadfast 46-ball 64 not out was instrumental in setting a formidable target of 160 runs. However, Shakib appeared to be oblivious to Sehwag's or anyone else's remarks about him. Confronted by a journalist during the press conference after the Netherlands match, Shakib enquired "who" had made such a statement before serenely asserting that a player's role is not to verbally counter critics.
"A player steps onto the field not to respond to others," Shakib stated. "A player's duty is to bat if he's a batsman, to contribute to the team, to bowl effectively if he's a bowler—bearing in mind that taking wickets can sometimes hinge on fortune—and if he's a fielder, then to prevent runs and secure the catches that come his way," he elaborated.
Shakib also acknowledged that it isn't unreasonable for someone to critique or question a player's performance and contribution to the team.
"There's no need to respond to anyone. I believe when a current player isn't contributing to the team as much as expected, it naturally raises a lot of questions, and I don't see that as necessarily negative," Shakib concluded.
