Former Pakistan cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed believes Shakib Al Hasan‘s retirement from T20Is will create a significant gap in the Bangladesh team for the shortest format. With the Bangla Tigers preparing for a T20I series against India, Ahmed emphasizes that any players stepping in to replace Shakib must possess great heart.
Before the second Test against India in Kanpur, Shakib announced his retirement from T20I cricket and mentioned that the Kanpur Test would be his last in red-ball cricket unless he is selected for the upcoming home series against South Africa.
In an interview with Cricbuzz, Mushtaq Ahmed noted Shakib’s fearless approach and willingness to seize opportunities. He recalled Shakib’s impressive performance during the 2019 World Cup, highlighting how he was at his peak during that tournament.
“They have to be big-hearted players. Shakib’s strength was that he was a big player because he got a big heart. He was never worried about the failures. In international cricket, you need to have a big heart. Shakib’s another strength was that he used to take chances and international cricket is all about taking chances.”
“When the great players are at the top of their game, they don’t give a sniff to their opposition. They will win the game when the opposition is down. That was Shakib’s strength. Whenever he was in a good rhythm like 2019 World Cup, he was the best player because he was scoring a lot of runs and he was getting wicket,” he added.
Shakib’s latest T20I match was disappointing, as he was dismissed for a golden duck against Afghanistan during this year’s World Cup. He didn’t take any wickets but allowed only 19 runs in four overs. In total, he played in a record 129 T20Is, claiming 149 wickets and scoring 2,551 runs.
“If you fear failure, you can’t be successful”- Mushtaq Ahmed
Mushtaq believes that Shakib Al Hasan’s aggressive mentality offers valuable lessons for young players, adding:
“This is a great message the young people can learn from Shakib, he was always taking the chances, taking the pressure off others. When he is bowling, he is always looking for wickets. His mindset was very aggressive.”
“That kind of attitude you need in international cricket. If you are worried about failure, you cannot be an achiever. If you want to be an achiever, you have to take your chances. If you have the mindset, maybe you will lose one or two games but you can win a tournament.”
Bangladesh’s three-match T20I series against India is set to start on Sunday, October 6, in Gwalior.
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