Shakib’s return to form is a huge boost for Bangladesh who have struggled with the bat despite two wins under their belt. However, Shakib’s meagre display in the previous games had led to scathing remarks from experts, including Sehwag.

“You are such an experienced player, you have been captain before, but your stats are such. You should feel ashamed of yourself and just declare that you are retiring from the T20 format,” Sehwag had told on a Cricbuzz show on Monday after Bangladesh’s harrowing four-run defeat against South Africa in New York.

Bangladesh are on the attack!#ShakibAlHasan dispatches the length ball to the boundary! Top powerplay for the Tigers 💪🏽#BANvNED | LIVE NOW | #T20WorldCupOnStar pic.twitter.com/atfgmvwWFV

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 13, 2024

Sehwag followed up with another scathing remark: “If he (Shakib) was included in the squad for experience, then we were not able to see it. At least spend some time at this wicket, it is not like you are (Matthew) Hayden or (Adam) Gilchrist who can play a pull shot of a short ball, you are just a player from Bangladesh. Play according to your standards. When you are not able to play hook or pull, so just play the strokes that you know.”

When quizzed by a journalist regarding Sehwag’s remarks following his match-winning performance against Netherlands, Shakib asked “who” had made the comments before stating that it was not upto him to engage with words for a response.

“A player never comes (enters the field) to answer anyone else,” Shakib said during the post-match press conference. “A player’s task is to bat if he is a batter, contribute to the team, bowl well if he is a bowler as getting wickets sometimes also depends on luck, and if he is a fielder then to save runs and take the catches that come his way,” Shakib added.

The former Bangladesh skipper also added that it was not unwarranted for a player to be criticised from the outside following poor form. “There is nothing to answer to anyone. I think when a current player is not being able to contribute to the team as much as is expected of him then it usually invites a lot of questions, and I don’t think it is a very bad thing,” Shakib said.

With over 800 runs and 47 wickets across nine editions of the T20 World Cup, Shakib is the leading all-rounder in the history of the tournament. A consistent figure in Bangladesh cricket since mid 2000s, Shakib is also the only player to amass over 14000 runs and 600 wickets across formats.