After Shakib Al Hasan struggled in Bangladesh’s opening two T20 World Cup 2024 matches, former cricketer Virender Sehwag aggressively insulted the player. He should play by his standards, Sehwag said, adding that he is not Adam Gilchrist or Matthew Hayden and should give up on the game’s shortest format.
Following a game-winning knock against the Netherlands, Shakib addressed Sehwag’s remarks. With his 64* runs off 46 deliveries, Bangladesh won by 25 runs and moved one game closer to the Super 8 position. Imrul Kayes, a former opener for Bangladesh, didn’t hold back when criticising Shakib after the knock, claiming that he had no one to answer to but that Sehwag lacked the respect that great batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid possessed.
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“In one or two days, Shakib did not become Shakib-Al-Hasan. For a very long time, in all formats, he has been the best all-around player in the ICC. Respect is owed to a player such as him, something that Virender Sehwag was not given during his playing career. Kayes was quoted by multiple Bangladeshi media sites as saying, “So he probably knows nothing about respect or giving respect to others.”
Bangladesh, on the other hand, has four points from three games and should make the Super 8. They have one more group stage match against Nepal, and a victory there will guarantee their place in the tournament. The Najmul Shanto-led team may play India in Super 8, most likely on June 22 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
Bangladesh’s campaign has started off quite well; they overcame Sri Lanka in the competition’s first match, but they were defeated by South Africa in the following one. But after defeating the Netherlands, they recovered, and if they maintain this pace, Bangladesh could pose a threat in the Super 8.