DHAKA, Jan 20, 2020 (BSS) – Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who was drafted in the Pakistan-bound national team in the place of Mushfiqur Rahim insisted he would play his natural game rather than thinking of filling the gap of the most dependable batsman of the country.
Mushfiqur pulled him out of the team for three-match T20 Internationals, citing the reason that his family doesn’t want him to go to Pakistan due to security fear.
Mushfiqur’s absence created a massive loophole in the middle order, which the selectors wanted to plug through Shanto who showed his T20 credential in the recently concluded Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL).
“Since the selectors kept faith on me, they drafted me in the team. So I am not thinking that I have to fill up the gap of Mushfiqur Rahim and should play a big role that he is used to do,” Shanto said here today during the team’s practice session.
“I stay positive and if I play to my ability, I think I would have no problem to thrive in Pakistan.”
Shanto scored 308 runs from 11 matches with a century and a half-century in the BBPL eventually. But the first part of the tournament was horrendous for him as he made just 115 runs in first eight matches before covering it up with an unbeaten century and a half-century that fetched him 193 runs.
In the final he was dismissed for second ball-duck, what took the gloss of what could have been a fairytale return.
‘When I managed myself psychologically well, I got it that I could score in this format. In the first few matches I lacked confidence which reflected in my batting also. But when I got my confidence back, I came back to my groove. Now I have the self belief that I could score in this format,” he explained.
The former Under-19 player further said that he is eyeing to make a fresh start in the national set-up leaving behind his previous disappointment in the national jersey.
After making him available for the national team in 2017, Shanto had already played two Tests, three ODIs and two T20 Internationals but yet couldn’t cement his place.
”I am not thinking about my past. I will try not to repeat those previous mistakes again,” he said.
”In the last few matches I played well in BBPL and I am sure that if I can have this confidence then I can play well there as well,” he said.
Even though Shanto thrived well as an opener, he would have to play in the middle order in Mushfiqur Rahim’s place but the young lad was unfazed by it, saying he is ready to take up challenge of scoring runs in any position.
”I am not worried about batting position, as I got chance in the team I can play in any position and I will try to perform wherever I play and in any batting position,” said Shanto, adding that he prefers to bat as a top order batsman though.
”Usually I play in the top order and I am most comfortable batting at top order but as a professional cricketer I should score runs at any batting position,” he said,
” I think big cricketers can score runs from any position and I am thinking wherever I get the chance to bat, I will try to perform,” he concluded.