Bangladesh’s star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan silenced his critics with a stellar performance against the Netherlands in the ongoing T20 World Cup, guiding his team closer to the Super 8s qualification. Shakib’s unbeaten 64 off 46 balls, embellished with nine boundaries, marked his 13th fifty in T20 internationals.
Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag had recently questioned Shakib’s place in the team, suggesting he should retire from T20 cricket due to what he termed as ‘shameful’ recent performances.
“During the last World Cup, I thought he should no longer be picked for the T20 format. The time for retirement came a long time ago. You are such a senior player, you were the captain of this team. You should actually be ashamed of your recent numbers,” Sehwag remarked on Cricbuzz.
In response to Sehwag’s criticism, Shakib delivered a terse reply after his match-winning performance against the Netherlands, referring to Sehwag as “who?” in a viral video on social media.
Shakib, however, emphasized that a player’s primary responsibility is to contribute to the team’s success on the field.
“A player never comes to answer any questions. A player’s job is to bat for the team if he’s a batsman and contributes to the team. If he is a bowler, his job is to bowl well. The wicket is about luck. If he is a fielder, he should save each run and take as many catches as he can,” Shakib commented during the post-match press conference.
Reflecting on his innings against the Netherlands, Shakib acknowledged the importance of his contribution despite Bangladesh’s total not being deemed competitive initially.
“It was crucial for someone from the top four to anchor the innings. I’m satisfied with how I batted today. We managed a decent total on a challenging wicket. Our bowlers, especially Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed, turned the game in our favor,” Shakib stated during the post-match presentation.
Bangladesh, currently with four points from three matches, can secure a spot in the Super 8 stage with a victory over Nepal in their upcoming match on Monday.
