IND vs BAN | Russell Domingo hopeful of more unity in the squad after the Shakib incident
Bangladesh Head Coach Russell Domingo hopes that his squad will take an important lesson from Shakib Al Hasan's ban and will come together and see this as an opportunity rather than a loss. Although Shakib's absence is a huge loss to the team, Domingo hopes that the other youngsters will step up.
Bangladesh are set to play their first T20I against India at Delhi on November 3rd. Shakib's ban due to failure to report bookie approaches has led to a great void in the team. Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo was shocked when he received this news and was extremely saddened by it.
"I was disappointed," he said in a press conference ahead of the first T20I in Delhi.
"I have known Shakib for a month. The relationship of Shakib with other players is a lot deeper than what I have got because I've been working for just a month. But the players speak very highly of him. They have lot of respect for him. Or admire him, his business, and his performances. Like I said, no one is perfect. He made a mistake and now he is paying the price for it," he further added.
Bangladesh cricket has gone through a lot recently, with player strikes for match fees and contracts to Shakib's acceptance to not reporting bookie approaches. Domingo believes that when a team has its back to the wall, it should come out fighting with more determination than ever. He is thus hopeful that these tough times will gel the team to stand together and punch above their weight to give India a tough competition in their own den.
"The last couple of weeks have been testing for Bangladesh. But sometimes, these things get a team close together and since we have been there, the guys have been fantastic. They are trying really hard, their energy has been good. Guys seemed to happy and relax, that is important for us," Domingo said.
Along with the absence of Shakib, Tamim Iqbal will also not be a part of the Bangladesh squad as he is soon going to be a father and wishes to spend time with his family. This has dented Bangladesh even further as Tamim is an experienced player who could have given a few rapid starts to Bangladesh at the top of the order.
Nevertheless, Domingo believes that one's adversity is another's opportunity. He feels that there is enough talent in the squad and captain Mahmudullah Riyad will lead them well and is a capable leader. If the youngsters can step up and produce good performances like the Sri Lankan team produced against Pakistan, Bangladesh have a chance to provide resistance to a strong Indian side.
"We have got a group of fifteen players and we are confident in every one of them. There are obviously two big players replaced. We know that but with that, comes an opportunity for young players," Domingo concluded.
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