Currently playing in the inaugural season of the Caribbean Premier League for Barbados Tridents, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan expressed his disappointment with his batting performance, despite having done well with the ball.“I am a bit down about that (batting) but my team-mates support me because they always tell me these Caribbean pitches are not the easiest to adapt to. I really want to come good with some runs though,” said Shakib.
In his 6 outings with the bat, the all-rounder only managed an average of 3.66. However, he has to his name bowling figures of 6 for 6 and 11 wickets at an economy rate of under 6. He credited his team’s unconventional approach and the nature of Caribbean pitches for the success of his attacking bowling.
Shakib’s CPL team, Barbados Tridents, has lost three matches in a row after having won their first four games. He shared that the team is working hard to regain that form and they are all confident about having what it takes to bag the trophy. Speaking about playing in the Caribbean Premier League, Shakib shared that he and his teammate Tamim Iqbal have enjoyed the opportunity, which has been a learning experience.
“I am getting immense practice ahead of us (Bangladesh) hosting New Zealand (in October). I was able to share my past experience as a captain with the Caribbean guys and I think this is a great move for other players from my country to potentially join. I learnt a lot playing with the likes of (Kieron) Pollard and Shoaib (Malik) and all,” he said.
Talking about the state of cricket in his country, Bangladesh, the former skipper said that the side is constantly improving and getting noticed. He added that more investment in facilities and academies and increased international exposure would further improve the team’s performance and abilities.
Pakistan cricket team’s skipper, who recently returned to his country after playing in the CPL, also voiced his support for franchise-based domestic leagues, which according to him are excellent for grooming young talent. – Cricket News Update via Google News
