Cricket fans and casuals alike were recipients of a rare treat on Monday night when Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal and his predecessor Mashrafe Bin Mortaza engaged in an hour-long, live video call on Facebook. The two national cricketers who most enjoy nighttime addas when the team is staying in hotels, gave fans a window into those sessions.
When the topic turned to Shakib Al Hasan, both cricketers could not hide their personal disappointment in failing to adequately support the champion all-rounder in the 2019 World Cup, when Shakib turned in the greatest all-round performance in the tournament’s history.
“When Shakib wanted to bat at number three [in the World Cup], I backed him fully because I knew he could make full impact from that position,” Mashrafe, in relaxed mood at home, told Tamim. “Ultimately, as a team could not utilise his impact. Maybe I didn’t play well…”
“Bhai, if you and I could have played 25 percent better, I think we would have been in the semis,” Tamim replied animatedly, to which Mashrafe nodded his agreement.
“Hundred percent,” Mashrafe said.
Shakib’s topic had come up when the former and current captains were talking about backing players and going with their hunches. Shakib had wanted to bat at number three during the World Cup, and while many were unsure — including Tamim who thought it would be a big blow if the team lost himself and Shakib early – then captain Mashrafe backed Shakib at number three.
The result was that Shakib scored 606 runs with two hundreds and five fifties at an average of 86.57, while taking 11 wickets from eight matches. However, Mashrafe endured a terrible time with the ball, picking up just one wicket from eight matches, while Tamim could not keep up the high standards of the previous four years, averaging 29.37 in eight matches with a solitary fifty.
“I am saying this because of our positions,” Tamim, Bangladesh’s star opener and highest ODI run-scorer, continued. “You have a knack for taking early wickets and you could not do that in the World Cup, which became a big problem.
“And for my part, I could not build those big partnerships with Shakib coming in at number three. If those things happened, I believe we would have made the semifinals.”
Bangladesh had finished eighth in the World Cup in England last summer, despite starting positively by beating South Africa and by the mid stages were viewed as genuine contenders for a last-four spot.
