Shakib Al Hasan’s Unbeaten 64 Powers Bangladesh to Victory, Responds to Virender Sehwag’s Criticism

June 14, 2024 0 858

Shakib Al Hasan responded to Virender Sehwag’s criticism by scoring an unbeaten 64 off 46 balls in Bangladesh’s 25-run win over the Netherlands.

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag criticized Shakib Al Hasan after his poor performances in Bangladesh’s first two games of the T20 World Cup, suggesting the all-rounder should retire from the format to make way for others. Shakib responded decisively with his bat, scoring an unbeaten 64 off 46 balls against the Netherlands, leading Bangladesh to a 25-run victory and moving closer to the Super 8 stage.

After the match, Shakib addressed Sehwag’s comments, emphasizing his focus on contributing to the team. He stressed that a player’s job is to perform their role effectively, whether batting, bowling, or fielding. Shakib also expressed his commitment to improving in the remaining matches and reiterated that his primary focus is on his game, not responding to critics.

“A player never comes to answer anyone else. A player’s task is to bat if he is a batter, contribute to the team, bowl well if he is a bowler as getting wickets sometimes also depends on luck, and if he is a fielder then to save runs and take the catches that come his way,” Shakib told reporters after the match.

“There is nothing to answer to anyone. I think when a current player is not being able to contribute to the team as much as is expected of him then it usually invites a lot of questions, and I don’t think it is a very bad thing,” he added.

Shakib further emphasized the importance of a top-order batter staying until the end. Despite a challenging wicket, Bangladesh posted a competitive total, which was supported by strong performances from Mustafizur Rahman and Rishad Hossain. He then praised the bowlers for their crucial contributions, which secured the win.

“It was important for someone from the top four to bat throughout the innings. Happy with the way I contributed with the bat. It wasn’t an easy wicket at the start of the innings. We held our nerves, put on a decent total. I won’t say it was a winning total, but it was a challenging total. Bowlers chipped in perfectly, especially the Fizz and Rishad,” Shakib concluded.

Bangladesh will play against Nepal on Sunday(June 16), and a win will secure their spot in the next round.