Bangladesh Captain Shakib Al Hasan has A Deep Thought About The Asia Cup, downplaying his team’s prospects, saying his target for the tournament is to prepare for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
Al Hasan to visit UAE for upcoming Asia Cup:-
Bangladesh will tour the United Arab Emirates for the upcoming Asia Cup due to poor performance in the shortest format of the game.
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Shakib will be given another chance as captain after Mahmudullah’s three-year reign ended earlier this year.
Shakib’s squad is set in Group B against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka for the six-team tournament starting August 27 and the star all-rounder is keeping his hopes low for the showcase event.
Asked about his team’s performance in the Asia Cup, Shakib said, “I don’t have any target.
Do well in the T20 World Cup:-
“My only goal is that we can do well in the (T20) World Cup and that is what preparations are for.
“If someone thinks I can change things in a day or two or someone else will come to change it, we are living in a kingdom of fools.
“If you are able to think practically, our real development will be seen when the team does really well in the World Cup in three months’ time.”
Bangladesh won last year’s T20 World Cup in Oman and UAE:-
Bangladesh has won just two 20-over matches since last year’s T20 World Cup in Oman and the UAE and their most recent series win in the shortest format of the game was at home against New Zealand almost 12 months ago.
And while Bangladesh has never won the Asia Cup, they have been runners-up three times in 2012, 2016, and 2018, including Shakib on each occasion.
But the veteran is not expecting any miracles this time around and said patients should be shown as Bangladesh’s next generation of white-ball artists get used to his captaincy style once again.
We didn’t have good results except in the Asia Cup final:-
“Look, we played this type of edition (format) for the first time in 2006. Since then, we haven’t had good results except in the Asia Cup final,” Shakib said.
“We are far behind that point in this edition so we have no choice but to make a fresh start.
“When a baby starts walking (the first) step is very difficult but gradually things become easier and I hope we too will start walking step by step like a baby and then move on.”
Bangladesh’s first game in the Asia Cup is against Afghanistan in Sharjah on 30 August, before the eagerly awaited encounter against Sri Lanka in Dubai on 1 September.
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Bangladesh Asia Cup squad: 1. Shakib Al Hasan (captain), 2. Anamul Haque, 3. Mushfiqur Rahim, 4. Afif Hossain, 5. Mosaddek Hossain, 6. Mahmudullah, 7. Mahedi Hasan, 8. Mohammad Saifuddin, 9. Hasan Mahmood, 10. Mustafizur Rahman, 11. Nasum Ahmed, 12. Sabbir Rahman, 13. Mehdi Hasan Miraj, 14. Ebadot Hossain, 15. Parvez Hussain Emon, 16. Noorul Hasan Sohan, 17. Taskin Ahmed.
