Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan downplayed former India opener Virender Sehwag’s criticism after his side’s 25-run victory over the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup 2024 clash at the Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown, St Vincent on Thursday.
Sehwag had launched scathing remarks on the experienced Bangladesh campaigner after his dismal returns of 3 and 8 against South Africa and Sri Lanka respectively. However, Shakib displayed his brilliance with a blistering knock of 64 runs off 46 deliveries, which included nine boundaries. He was adjudged the man-of-the-match for his performance and bolstered his team’s chances to the Super 8.
“You are such an experienced player, you have been captain before, but your stats are such. You should feel ashamed of yourself and just declare that you are retiring from the T20 format,” Sehwag had told on a Cricbuzz after Bangladesh’s loss to South Africa.
“If he (Shakib) was included in the squad for experience, then we were not able to see it. At least spend some time at this wicket, it is not like you are (Matthew) Hayden or (Adam) Gilchrist who can play a pull shot of a short ball, you are just a player from Bangladesh. Play according to your standards. When you are not able to play hook or pull, so just play the strokes that you know.”
Following the match against the Netherlands, a journalist quizzed Shakib about Sehwag’s remarks. To which, the all-rounder responded by saying “who”, adding it was not up to him to engage with such comments.
“A player never comes (enters the field) to answer anyone else,” Shakib said during the post-match press conference. “A player’s task is to bat if he is a batter, contribute to the team, bowl well if he is a bowler as getting wickets sometimes also depends on luck, and if he is a fielder then to save runs and take the catches that come his way,” Shakib added.
“There is nothing to answer to anyone. I think when a current player is not being able to contribute to the team as much as is expected of him then it usually invites a lot of questions, and I don’t think it is a very bad thing,” he added.
