Agency :
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto urged the younger players will perform well to honour veterans Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad in the upcoming T20 World Cup (WC) in the USA and the West Indies.
There is a high chance that this might be the last World Cup appearance for either cricketer in a Bangladesh shirt,
Mahmudullah recently returning to the squad after being snubbed in the previous edition. On the other hand, Shakib, who is the longest-serving active cricketer alongside Rohit Sharma of India, with both set to play their ninth World Cup in the format.
During a pre-departure press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Wednesday, Shanto was asked what to expect from the two players in this World Cup.
“I don’t know if it will be the last World Cup for them (Mahmudullah and Shakib), this is just a perception. But the young players like us will definitely want to give them some good memories since they have played for so long. This is definitely a responsibility of the young players.”
Both Shakib Al Hasan (37) and Mahmudullah Riyad (38) are reaching at the end of their careers As part of the “Fab Five” of Bangladesh cricket, they have witnessed two members of that group retire from the format, while another remains uncertain about his future with the national team.
If this is indeed the last World Cup for Shakib and Mahmudullah, Bangladesh captain hopes for one thing from them and that is their experience.
“We don’t demand anything extra from Shakib bhai and Riyad bhai. If they perform as per their roles, team will definitely be benefitted. What we will want is that they spread their experience among the other players so that the small improvements can be made,” he added.