Shakib Al-Hasan Wants To Bat At Number 3 For Bangladesh

Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al-Hasan wishes to bat at the No. 3 spot, since that would provide him with greater chances to influence games prior to the World Cup 2019. Shakib has batted at No. 3 in 13 ODIs for Bangladesh, scoring 492 runs at an average of 41. His best score in this position is 97 off 121 balls, which came against West Indies at Providence on July 22, 2018.

"There was a time when I had to come on to the crease before the first 10 overs even if I batted at No.5. But now things have changed, I don't get a chance to bat before 35-40 overs if I bat at the No.5 position," Shakib was quoted as saying in the International Cricket Council (ICC) website.

"For me, I think, the earlier the better. So, personally speaking, I want to play at No.3. I have also expressed my desire to the coach (Steve Rhodes) and the captain (Mashrafe Mortaza). But I don't have any problem to play anywhere for the team," he added.

The 2019 World Cup will be the fourth in which Shakib Al-Hasan will be representing his country. He has played 21 World Cup matches, where he has scored 540 runs and scalped 23 wickets.

Bangladesh will play two warm-up matches against Pakistan and India, after which they begin their World Cup campaign on June 2 against South Africa at The Oval in London.

Topics mentioned in this article

Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh Cricket Team World Cup 2019 Cricket