With the suspension of Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh team will be led by Mahmudullah Riyad in the T20 format. However, he said on Wednesday that Shakib’s absence will act as a motivation rather than anything else. A 15-member squad have already arrived Delhi a day after Shakib Al Hasan was handed a two-year ban (one year suspended sentence) for not reporting three corrupt approaches which included one during the 2018 IPL from an alleged bookie, Deepak Aggarwal.
However, Bangladesh will play three-match T20I series in New Delhi, starting from November 3, Rajkot (November 7) and Nagpur (November 10) and then two Tests in Indore (November 14-18) and Kolkata (November 22-26), which will host the first-ever day-night Test between India and Bangladesh.
“We have to play with our heart for the country,” Mahmudullah Riad was quoted as saying by the ESPN Cricinfo. “I think this (Shakib’s absence) will work as motivation for us. I think there’s no greater honour than playing for the country. The responsibility to lead the side lies with me, so I will try to give it my all,” said the T20 captain. “The statistics don’t lie. It is a tough ask, but it is not impossible. We have to perform as a team, and ensure we take advantage of every opportunity.”
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Mahmudullah will get the service of another senior player Mushfiqur Rahim in the absence of Shakib and opener Tamim Iqbal.
“Definitely, I will miss him (Shakib), since we have played together for so long,” Mushfiqur said. “It is tough to play without him as he is the No. 1 player. If someone was injured for a year, which could have been anyone, then it would have been an opening for the younger players. It is a challenge to beat India in their home turf but a challenge also means an opportunity.”
Bangladesh T20I squad: Mahmudullah Riyad (C), Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim, Mushfiqur Rahim, Atif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Aminul Islam, Arafat Sunny, Al-Amin Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Mohammad Mithun, Taijul Islam, Abu Hider Rony.
