'Time to show how good we are'

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan yesterday said that his team's main focus in the upcoming ICC World Cup would be to show the world how good they are in the 50-over format.

Shakib talked about his World Cup goal and ODI captaincy for the first time since returning as Bangladesh's ODI following the resignation of Tamim Iqbal.

"Well, it's nothing new to me," Shakib said regarding his ODI captaincy in an interview during the Lanka Premier League match between Galle Titans and Jaffna Kings at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on August 13..

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), on August 11, named Shakib as Bangladesh ODI captain to lead in the upcoming Asia Cup and the World Cup.

The Asia Cup will be held in August-September in Pakistan and Sri Lanka while the World Cup will be held in India in November-December.

This will be the second stint as ODI captain for Shakib, who had previously led Bangladesh in 50 ODIs between 2009 and 2017. The all-rounder also currently leads the Tigers in Tests and T20Is.

When asked about his target in the upcoming World Cup, Shakib said: "It's a great challenge for our team to showcase how good we have become in the last four years. It will be a great opportunity for us to do well in the World Cup."

"We are a very good team and we are playing really very well in the white-ball format, so now it's time to show everyone how good we are," Shakib added.