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Shakib under pressure


Bangladeshpost
Published : 04 Sep 2019 08:56 PM | Updated : 06 Sep 2020 08:16 PM

Bappu Mahmud

Tigers Test and T20Is captain Shakib Al Hasan, believes the team is not in a good shape. After a dismal World Cup campaign, they were clean swept by Sri Lanka in ODI series. The current captaincy stint is Shakib's second in a full-time capacity in Tests and T20Is. He became captain of T20Is when Mashrafe Mortaza retired from the format in April 2017, and got the Test captaincy after the sacking of Mushfiqur Rahim in December that year.

Shakib's public expression of disinterest in the role - a first in his 13-year-long international career - stems from his earliest experiences as Bangladesh captain. After deputizing for an injured Mashrafe from mid-2009, he was made the permanent captain in 2011, but eight months later, he lost his job in the aftermath of a drab World Cup campaign.

He, however, has since been the most consistent performer in the team, and enjoyed a dream run in the World Cup earlier this year, finishing as the third-highest run-getter in the tournament. His consistency, not to mention his seniority, also puts him in line for the ODI captaincy once Mashrafe retires.

Now, he wants the younger crop of players be given more responsibility over the next four-year cycle, but understands that the team needs him to lead in what is a tricky phase. "I am not even mentally prepared to lead in Tests and T20Is," Shakib told the daily Prothom Alo. "But the team is not in a good shape, so I understand that I have to lead to get it back on track.

"If I don't take that role, I can focus on my game more. It will also help the team. I want new players to take responsibility. Until you give them responsibility, you won't understand how they will do. When I was named captain at 22, who knew how good I was. We have the Test Championship and T20Is World Cup coming up. We should start preparing for next four years from now.

However, he is desperate to bring back normalcy to Bangladesh's cricket with a win over Afghanistan after a month of World Cup. The hosts have been short-changed for success at the international level, having lost each of their last series in the Test [versus NZ] and T20Is formats besides a lukewarm performance at the World Cup.

Their only bright moment is it was brought by the Under-19 team, who reached the final of a tri-nation in England at the expense of the hosts before losing to eventual winner India on the all-important day. Shakib, who is front runner to lead the side across set-ups after the leaving of Mashrafe Mortaza, is aware of the current state of cricket in the country and insists that it is an added motivation for his team to earn a win against Afghanistan in the one-off Test, at Chottogram’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. The match is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am.

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