 "Najmul Hossain Shanto captained Bangladesh in the last T20 World Cup where they made past the group stage. Reuters")
Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto on Friday reacted to the controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s demand to move their T20 World Cup matches outside India saying that such things before big tournaments affect players but they have to show everything is alright.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has written multiple times to International Cricket Council (ICC) requesting to move their World Cup games to Sri Lanka as the team has concerns over security in India. However, ICC is yet to give any signals that such a move is possible with the tournament less than a month away. If the deadlock persists and Bangladesh remain adamant on their demands, they may have to forfeit the tournament.
Controversy affects players, says Shanto
Shanto, who captained Bangladesh to a Super 8 finish in the 2024 T20 World Cup, said that it will be better for the players if such controversies do not take place. The controversy is also set to impact players who have sponsorship deals with Indian companies and that could hurt even the current T20I captain Litton Das .
“You’ll see that something always happens before every World Cup. I can say this from my experience of three World Cups - it does have an effect. Now, we act as if nothing affects us, that we are fully professional cricketers. You guys also understand that we are acting - it’s not easy,” Shanto was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
“I feel that players still try to keep those distractions aside and perform for the team. Of course, it would be better if these things didn’t happen, but this is partly beyond our control,” the left-hander added.
“I don’t know the details of how it happened, or how it could have been controlled. Still, I’d say that even acting in such circumstances (is difficult). With the right mindset if we go to the World Cup and play anywhere, we should focus on how to do our best for the team,” Shanto, who is currently out of favour in T20Is, said.
Shanto also took a stand for former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal who was called an “Indian agent” after he publicly requested the board to not take steps based on public emotions and think of long-term consequences for cricket in the country.
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View All“What hurts most is that the cricket board is supposed to be our guardian. We expect them to protect us. As a player, I cannot accept such a comment,” Shanto said.
Bangladesh are scheduled to play their first World Cup game on February 7 in Kolkata.