Political change in the country. Then again the 'cold unrest' is going on in BCB. Bangladesh cricket team is in such condition in Pakistan. The first Test of the series starts tomorrow in Rawalpindi. Before that, captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto came to the press conference and informed about his preparations.

SBS Desk

August 20, 2024

1 minute

CRICKET

Political turmoil will not affect cricketer Shakib

Political change in the country. Then again the 'cold unrest' is going on in BCB. Bangladesh cricket team is in such condition in Pakistan. The first Test of the series starts tomorrow in Rawalpindi. Before that, captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto came to the press conference and informed about his preparations. Despite the many challenges ahead, his voice was full of hope for a good performance.

Former national team captain Shakib Al Hasan is an important member of the team in this series. But recently he has also had a political disaster. He also lost his MP position due to the dissolution of Parliament. Mentally, how ready is he to give the team a boost? Shant, however, dismissed all concerns on such a question.

Shanto has full confidence in Shakib's ability to separate cricket from political life. "I don't think it will affect him because he is a professional cricketer and we all treat him as such," he said. He has played the game for so long that he knows his role and how to prepare himself. I am not thinking about his political career, I hope he will do something special in this series.

Pakistan opted for a pace attack with bowlers like Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Ali and Khurram Shahzad on a Rawalpindi wicket known for its pace-friendly conditions. However, the Bangladesh skipper is optimistic about Shanta's balanced bowling unit, which includes both pace and spin options. Emphasizing on spinners in particular, he said, Bangladesh is well prepared to adapt to the conditions.

"We have had a very good pace bowling unit in the last few years," he said. We also have three-four quality spinners, so we have all aspects covered. When we take the field tomorrow, we will evaluate the wickets and finalize the team. But as you point out, seamers get a bit of an advantage here. Our bowlers are really looking forward to perform well in these conditions.”

The Bangladesh skipper noted that the toss can play an important role, but his team is mentally prepared for any situation, adding, "The toss is very important." Players are prepared for both batting and bowling, but it is important. Personally, I am not thinking about the toss, because as players we have to be prepared for all situations.'