‘Careers of batsmen will end if they play 10-15 matches on those pitches’: Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan said career of batsmen will end if they play 10-15 matches on pitches that were offered in Dhaka in the recent Australia and New Zealand series.

Bangladesh great Shakib Al Hasan said the pitches in Dhaka for their home series against Australia and New Zealand were so bad for the batsmen of both the sides that one shouldn't even consider those performances to judge a cricketer. Bangladesh beat Australia 4-1 in the T20Is and then followed it up with a 3-2 victory over New Zealand but in those matches even getting to 120 seemed like a mountain to climb.

‘Careers will end if any batsman plays 10-15 matches on those pitches’: Shakib (REUTERS)

None of the batsmen from either side found it easy to score at more than run a ball, something which is considered norm in limited-overs cricket let alone T20Is. Shakib said career of a young batsman could end if he plays 10-15 matches on pitches like these.

"Those who played the last nine-ten matches, are all out of form. That's how the wicket was. Nobody did well. I hope the batters don't count this performance.

“Careers will end if any batter plays 10-15 matches on these wickets. Let's not take this into account,” Shakib told reporters before departing for the UAE to join the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad in IPL 2021.

The Bangladesh all-rounder, however, sounded confident of Bangladesh keeping the winning momentum going in the upcoming T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman.

“I think we are well prepared, by winning these last three (T20I) series. There's been a lot of criticism about pitches and low scores, but there's nothing better than winning. Such a winning streak takes confidence to a different level. You wouldn't have it if you played well but lost. We want to go to the World Cup with confidence,” he said.

Shakib said he will observe how the pitches are behaving in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi by playing for KKR in the IPL and will pass on the his inputs to the Bangladesh players during the ICC event.

"I am hopeful that the IPL will help everyone," Shakib said. "We will be spending time in those conditions, play matches too. Mustafiz and I can share the experience with the rest of the team. We will understand the other players' mindset, what they are thinking about the World Cup, and then report it back to our players.

"Our team will be in Oman at least 15-16 days before the World Cup, which is enough time for acclimatising with conditions and wickets. I don't think pitches and conditions here will have any impact over there. We have built a winning mentality, which will help us be confident in the World Cup," he said.