Chattogram Royals Team Director Habibul Bashar Sumon has urged Bangladesh players to focus solely on the forthcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, despite growing uncertainty over participation in India due to security concerns.
On Tuesday, Bashar spoke to the media at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium after the Royals’ practice session. The team is currently sitting second in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League, Which stemmed from Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion from Kolkata Knight Riders as per the BCCI directive. The BCB has sent two emails to the ICC requesting that the tournament venue be relocated outside India.
When asked if the external fuss and growing uncertainty were affecting the players, Bashar said, “No, I do not see it that way.”
He acknowledged that facing such issues less than a month before a major tournament is a setback. “We are discussing it and it is definitely a setback. But as players, we should be confident about our performances over the last six months. We have been playing together as a team for six months now,” he said.
“This is not a team that has suddenly become completely new. We understand our cricket much better now,” Bashar added.
He also highlighted that the same team has been playing together for six months. “I think the team has figured out what works in T20 and our brand of cricket. We should not be worried. This is not something we wish for, and it should not be on our minds at the World Cup. The team has played together for a long time. Everyone knows each other and their own game, so I hope it won’t be a problem,” he said.
Bashar further urged the team to stay positive, forget excuses, and focus on the World Cup. The former Bangladesh captain said, “I only think that we should think positively. Excuses can always be made about what we did or did not do. But as a team, we should only think about how we can perform well at the World Cup.”
