The batting is not going well for Shakib Al Hasan in the World Cup. So far, he has batted in four innings and scored only 56 runs. To find a solution to his batting woes, Shakib returned to Dhaka. He came to work on his batting with coach Nazmul Abedin Fahim.
When the team was in Kolkata, there was much discussion about Shakib’s batting form in Dhaka. Even though he sang his praises, former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond could not find any significance in it. When asked if Shakib has received any extra benefits as the captain, Shakib said, “He came to Dhaka to work on his batting with the team management’s permission. He expressed his desire to work on his own batting. That day we had a rest. So, the management allowed him to go. He went for cricket reasons, nothing else.”
In the first One Day International (ODI) World Cup played in 1999, Bangladesh lost to the strong Pakistan team. They also won against Scotland. Bangladesh did not achieve any victories in the 2003 World Cup. In the 2007 World Cup, Bangladesh won three matches, including against South Africa and India. In the 2011, 2015, and 2019 World Cups, Bangladesh won three matches each time.
So, in the previous four World Cups, Bangladesh’s performance has been the same, winning three matches in each. In the current World Cup, they have won only one match so far. Playing test cricket for 20 years is not a great result for a country. Bond thinks that it is crucial for Bangladesh to perform well against the Netherlands. He says, “They need a hard-fought match. The Netherlands are playing continuous cricket. Bangladesh, on the other hand, plays T20. There is pressure on Bangladesh. They always have high hopes in the World Cup. For 20 years, they have been playing test cricket, but they have not been able to perform on the world stage. It is very important for them to do well tomorrow (today).”
