Bangladesh Cricket
World Cup dream still on, says Shanto
|| CF DESK ||
Bangladesh's top-order batter Najmul Hossain Shanto stated that the players still have the same World Cup dream as before, contradicting head coach Chandika Hathurusingha's beliefs.
Hathurusingha, after Bangladesh’s departure from the Asia Cup, said that "anyone still dreaming of the World Cup needs to wake up". Shanto, however, mentioned today that the dream is still on.
Shanto was included in the side for the last ODI against New Zealand in place of usual leader Shakib Al Hasan and vice-captain Litton Das.
"It's not like that. We all are still dreaming of the same thing as before," said Shanto, who is set to lead Bangladesh for the first time in the third and final ODI against New Zealand in Mirpur tomorrow.
"Us players, we targeted to finish among the top four in the ODI Super League. And we finished third on the table. From that point, we all dreamt that we will do well in the World Cup, and that we will achieve a result that Bangladesh have never achieved before in the World Cup. We believe that we have that capability, so, we still have that same dream" he added.
Hathurusingha's remarks surprised even senior campaigner Tamim Iqbal. The left-handed opener also stated that they hope to do well in the forthcoming mega tournament.