Before the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh is focused on preparations by playing series against Zimbabwe and USA. However, world champions England will prepare by playing a four-match series against Pakistan. However, teams like India, South Africa, New Zealand or Australia do not have the pressure of preparation as the players are busy in busy tournaments like IPL. However, ICC partner countries are continuing preparations from their respective places. From that place, the experienced all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is seeing deficiencies in Bangladesh’s preparations. The 37-year-old all-rounder also warned that it would be wrong to consider the Zimbabwe or USA series as preparation for the World Cup. Shakib attended an event in the capital last Saturday night and talked about this.
Bangladesh is playing a five-match Twenty20 series with Zimbabwe ahead of the World Cup. Shakib is not in the squad for the first two matches. There is also confusion about whether he will play in the next two matches or not. But most of the players who played in this series will go to represent Bangladesh in the World Cup. So the game against Zimbabwe is not ideal! Shakib said differently, ‘Look, if we think of the World Cup considering the game with Zimbabwe-UK, I think it will be very wrong. The World Cup is a completely different place. The more pressure we can handle there, the better we are likely to do.’
Zimbabwe is not playing in this World Cup. Maybe that’s why Shakib didn’t think the preparation for playing with Zimbabwe was ideal. At the same time recalling the memory of the last World Cup, he said, ‘The last time we played T20 World Cup, I think we did a rough performance. Even if it is not good, no one will say too bad! I would expect that if we start from the benchmark in that place, we should surpass it in this World Cup. If that is to go, we must win three matches in the first round.
This is where Shakib sees the problem. Because, behind Bangladesh’s improvement in the last World Cup held in Australia was the tri-series played with New Zealand and Pakistan. Shakib also admitted that, ‘When we played in the World Cup with New Zealand and Pakistan in difficult conditions like New Zealand, naturally we were able to prepare very well. From that point of view, I think it (Zimbabwe and USA series) is definitely not ideal.
