Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who was on the field on Friday, reacted to criticism by ex-India cricket player Virender Sehwag after guiding the Asian team to a win of 25 runs against the Netherlands at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown situated in St Vincent. Shakib hit a game-winning volley of a never-beaten 64-ball 46 in order to benefit Bangladesh inch and move closer to qualifying for the Super Eight stage of the T2O World Cup from Group D.
The 37-year-old had a disappointing beginning in this year’s T20 World Cup. He did not score wickets during matches in the series against Sri Lanka and South Africa but scored only eight and three runs in each match, respectively. Sehwag was adamant about the veteran cricketer, claiming Shakib Shakib should be embarrassed of his performances and should rather quit the game.
“You are such a seasoned player. You’ve even been captain in the past however your statistics aren’t similar to. You ought to be ashamed and declare that you’re taking a break of the T20 form,” Sehwag had told Cricbuzz following Bangladesh’s four-run defeat in the Proteas in New York on Monday.
“If the player (Shakib) was in the squad to gain experiences, then we didn’t discern the difference. Spend some time on this wicket. It’s not like you’re (Matthew) Hayden or (Adam) Gilchrist who can play the pull shot of an elongated ball. You are just a person from Bangladesh. You must play alike to your own standards. If you’re not able to pull or hook then just use the strokes you are familiar with,” he added.
After Shakib’s match-winning strike, Shakib’s veteran Bangladesh captain was asked at the press conference following the match about Sehwag’s comments, and then he rebuffed the discussion by asking, “Who?”
The senior all-rounder reacted to the question in a shrewd manner by saying that the role of a player is not to react to criticism. However, he understood Sehwag’s viewpoint and said that the debates regarding his performance and role within the team were natural, considering his lack of performance in the first two games.
“A player is never there to answer inquiries,” Shakib shot back. “A player’s role is to play for his team when you’re a batsman. He also contributes to the group. If he’s an athlete, his task is to be a good bowler. The wicket is a matter of luck. If the player is the fielder, he needs to keep each run in reserve and make every catch possible. In this case, in reality, there’s no answer for anyone.
“I consider it crucial for an active player (to determine) the extent to which he is able to contribute to the team. If he isn’t able to contribute, naturally there would be discussion which I do not think is a problem,” he added.
Bangladesh will play Nepal for their last Group D game on Sunday. If they prevail, they will definitely be in the Super-Eight place. If they fail, they can anticipate Sri Lanka to beat the Netherlands.