Agency :
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) selector Hannan Sarkar was disappointed with Shakib al Hasan’s poor display with the ball against Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup opener.
Bangladesh clinched a tight two-wicket win against Sri Lanka by restricting them to 124 runs.
While chasing the target, Bangladesh lost a couple of wickets but managed to gain control of the game after Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy formed a crucial partnership of 63 runs, which played a significant role in their victory.
According to the selector, he expected Shakib to contribute with both bat and ball. He believed even if he failed with the bat, he would compensate with his bowling.
However, Shakib’s performance was not up to the mark and the experienced campaigner conceded 30 runs in his three overs remained wicket less and scored 8 runs while facing 14 deliveries.
“Shakib has put us in worry.
He is essential for us in both batting and bowling. While we have Riyad or someone else to cover for any slight breakdown in batting, there is no alternative to cover for his bowling.
He is our number one bowler,” said Hannan Sarkar to Cricfrenzy.
“If Shakib doesn’t return to form, we may have to suffer more.
I have never seen this kind of bowling from Shakib.
I mean, his recent performances are not that good. The way the batters are very comfortable playing against him, it’s concerning,” he said.