Sports Desk

In the recent past, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan raised questions over the preparation of Bangladesh team for the forthcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 as he believed it was not ideal to go into the global event by taking on Zimbabwe and USA.

Bangladesh are preparing for the global event with the ongoing five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe and they are also scheduled to play against USA in a three-match series after the conclusion of the home series.

In the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in 2022, Bangladesh played a tri-nation series involving New Zealand and Pakistan as part of their preparation. Even though they couldn't win games in the series, they certainly put up a good fight.

Subsequently, Bangladesh earned their first win in the main phase of the tournament since defeating West Indies in the very first edition back in 2007 after beating Netherlands by nine runs in their opening game of the campaign.

Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by three runs to earn their second win in the main phase and were on course to reach the semifinals that was dashed by Pakistan, eventually.

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan Papon, however, is not ready to accept it as he feels no preparation can be taken in two weeks.

“No, I don’t see it as preparation. The series against Zimbabwe is not preparation for the World Cup. It’s part of the FTP schedule and should I hand them points? There is no relation. Regarding the games against USA, we want to play in those conditions to adjust to the wicket and everything,” he told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Monday.

“The series we are playing against Zimbabwe is in the T20 format as well. Before that we played the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and that was competitive. We also played a full series against Sri Lanka. Still preparation is needed. I think what he said, he said so whimsically. If he did it (seriously), he could have played the T20Is (against Zimbabwe) but he is playing one-day (in Dhaka Premier League). I think he was joking around,” he said.

Shakib also pointed fingers at the decision makers of BCB, as he felt it would have been better if they played the super league phase of the DPL, the country's traditional list A tournament, in the shorter format version instead of completing it in usual manner, though Nazmul begs to differ. “Can I make the List A tournament’s Super League stage a T20I tournament? Can this be done however possible? There is no opportunity,” he ended.