Hosts England, India and Australia are considered as favourites in the upcoming edition of the World Cup in England and Wales. But Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan said that they have a great chance to win the title this year. While speaking to IANS, Shakib said that there is no doubt that Eoin Morgan and Virat Kohli’s team are capable of winning the title.
“India and England are obviously favourites, but that doesn’t get you the crown. You need to do the hard yards to win a tournament like the World Cup. Australia have been doing well recently and West Indies have peaked at the right time. To be honest, all the teams look like they are ready for a fight. Depends who on that day does well,” he pointed.
However, Shakib has recently become the No.1 all-rounder in ODIs but he wants to win the cup and his focus is fixed on that.
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“This time I think we have a genuine chance of winning the tournament, but keeping the format of the tournament in mind, we must look to play well consistently. If we can do that, we can definitely look at qualifying for the knockouts and take it forward from there. I am confident that we will do well this time,” he said.
“Personally, obviously I wish that Bangladesh win the trophy this time. But a lot of factors need to click together for that dream to be realised. While I didn’t play much in the IPL, I had been working hard on my game and was looking to prepare for the World Cup. Gave it my all in the practice sessions and tried to maximise the output in every training session,” he added.
However, the veteran is a little bit worried about his team’s bowling attack.
“I think we have a very good side, I am a little worried about the bowling, both new ball and the death. But I am very much optimistic that we can go the whole length. We have experience, have guys who have played 3 or 4 World Cups. It is a good thing as we know what we need to do. Need to get the momentum early on. I am confident. Anyone can beat anyone on their day. Consistency is an important factor to go all the way,” he expressed.
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The experienced all-rounder, however, shared that T20 leagues all around the globe help in getting quality players for the country.
“I feel playing in the T20 leagues around the world has really helped our boys in recent times as you gain in experience. Apart from building your own game, you also get to see other stars closely and try and learn from them as well. It has helped us become more competitive as a unit,” he shared.
Bangladesh will start their World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 2 in Kennington Oval, London.
