Dhaka: Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto saw a positive outcome of not getting much chance to play in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) for his side Fortune Barishal, which eventually lifted the title. Explaining the reasons behind seeing the positivity in not playing in BPL, a T20 format, Shanto said, the off time gave him much opportunity to prepare for the ICC Champions Trophy, which is a 50-over format of cricket.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Shanto expressed optimism about his preparation during his time off from the BPL. “I could not play much in BPL, but there were some positive aspects in it too,” Shanto stated. “I got the opportunity to bat regularly at net. The coaches helped me with how to prepare a little more. I also worked on my fitness.” He believes the extra preparation for the tournament will bring a good result for him. “I was able to prepare very well during that time off from the BPL. I hope that if everything goes well, the Champions Trophy will go well for me.”
Fortune Barishal captain Tamim Iqbal mentioned that Shanto was not dropped due to performance but because of team combination. Shanto’s performance in BPL was not encouraging, as he scored 56 runs in five matches, with 41 runs in one game and only 15 in the remaining four. His performance in T20 International cricket was also not up to the mark, scoring 358 runs in 20 innings last year with a strike rate of 102.57.
Despite challenges in the T20 format, Shanto’s form in ODI cricket remains strong. In his last 10 ODI innings, he scored 493 runs with an average of 61.62, including a match-winning innings of 76 runs against Afghanistan. However, Shanto faced a setback due to injury, missing the West Indies series, and will lead into the Champions Trophy without much recent play.
Shanto remains unfazed by these challenges, saying, “I will play an ODI match after a long time but the preparation is going on here. There was a match scenario practice yesterday, and we’ll play a match today too.” He anticipates playing a practice match against Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy and feels confident in his capability to adapt despite the gap in play. Shanto reflects positively on his last ODI innings and maintains confidence in his ability, acknowledging his struggles in T20 but emphasizing his satisfaction with his ODI performance.