Shakib al Hasan ( Source : X / Twitter )_
Despite the majority of attention being directed towards the ongoing IPL 2024, and the remaining coverage focusing on bilateral series between England and Pakistan, and West Indies and South Africa, it would be inordinately unjust to overlook the remarkable achievement by the USA to pull off a series victory against Bangladesh.
Not only did they win the second T20I by six runs, but the nail-biting victory was also fueled by an extraordinary comeback from the USA bowlers, who smothered the Bangladeshi batting order by taking six wickets for just 36 runs after the visitors were in a commanding position, needing only 43 runs in the last six overs. This remarkable triumph, achieved after losing the toss, etched the USA’s name into the history books as they clinched a historic series victory against a Test-playing nation.
Seasoned campaigner of Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan, remarked in the post-match conference that the way they faltered in the game was disappointing, yet he gave due credit to the USA for their perseverance and unwavering resilience. He pointed out the impending T20 World Cup following the series, emphasizing that this series loss should serve as a reality check for the team, who haven’t been performing as well as they had hoped.
“Certainly, it’s disappointing and we didn’t expect it, but we must give credit to the USA team for the way they have played. I think no one expected that we will lose two games. Any match you lose as a team is disappointing and you don’t want to lose a game and obviously, it’s very disappointing. But, having said that, we have to play the World Cup and this series might be a wake-up call for us as we haven’t played the way we want to play,” remarked Shakib during the post-match conference.
You cannot take anything lightly in T20 cricket: Shakib
Underscoring the spirited performances of Nepal and Ireland in their respective series against West Indies A and Ireland, as well as the close duels between Ireland and the Netherlands in the recent past, the southpaw emphasized that every team is equally competitive in T20 cricket. He noted that just one or two overs can radically impact the dynamics and transform the game substantially. He also stressed the importance of always being prepared for challenges and never taking anything for granted, especially in the 20-over format.
“In T20, every team is very much equal. I have seen the game between the West Indies A and Nepal and they really played well, and you are seeing games between Ireland and the Netherlands and they are playing very close matches. Pakistan lost to Ireland and in T20s, it’s anybody’s game. It’s on the day who performs better, and so you cannot take anything lightly in T20 cricket because one or two overs can change the momentum of the game and completely change the scenario of the game. That’s why you are always up for challenges and you cannot take anything lightly or anything for granted,” added Shakib.