ICC World Cup 2019 | The last two matches were really challenging, reveals Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib Al Hasan revealed that he was under tremendous mental pressure which took a toll on him in the last two group stage matches in England. The Bangladesh all-rounder is third on the highest run-getter's list at this year's World Cup having amassed a total of 606 runs from eight matches.
Not a single person could have predicted that former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan would be among the top three run-getters alongside the likes of Rohit Sharma and David Warner. But after the end of the group stage, Shakib finds himself at number three on that list with 606 runs from nine matches with Bangladesh.Â
Unfortunately, the talented all-rounder won't be able to add to that tally in the coming week as his team have failed to make the semifinals of the ongoing global showpiece. Shakib revealed that the last two games in the group stage were extremely difficult for him due to the massive amount of mental stress he was subjected to.Â
"I was feeling mentally exhausted in the last two matches. Probably I got over it because my fitness level was quite good. I could work on my fitness for one or two days in between, but at the same time I could have gotten more tired in the process.
"It's tough to balance everything and so in that sense, the last two matches were really challenging. I don't why but I had a feeling that it [increased fitness level] was necessary. It helped as I had a good preparation before the World Cup," Shakib told reporters at the team hotel on Saturday as per Cricbuzz reports.Â
Shakib, who has represented Bangladesh in 206 ODIs after making his debut in 2006, claimed that his century against hosts' England was the most satisfying knock for him over the course of the last month or so.Â
"From the first match, I had a feeling that something good will happen (this time). I scored well in all opening matches in the previous World Cups but I could not continue doing that. So I had to push myself to not lose the momentum after gaining it. I was not surprised because I knew what I had in my mind. It's just that what happened is the best that I thought could have happened for me.
"It was really challenging to perform against Afghanistan. They had good quality spinners and the wicket on which we played were the main reasons behind it," Shakib added.
