Shakib emphasises on teamwork to end on a high

Bangladesh's Asia Cup hopes have already been dashed but with a host of starters unavailable, the Tigers will be keen on trying some new combinations to finish their campaign on a high against India in Colombo today.

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan, however, seemed quite uninterested in entertaining the eager questions from the media when he attended Thursday's pre-match presser. In fact, he did not seem very eager to answer anything in particular.

Usually, Shakib is someone who addresses issues in a rather diplomatic way, barring the times he feels the need to be direct. In a very nonchalant manner, Shakib said that it is not only up to him to shoulder all the responsibility when asked what his message to the side was ahead of today's contest as the most experienced campaigner.

"The thing is that not all the responsibility is mine alone. I am sure everyone will work from their position and if individually they do that then our chances of doing well as a team increase. If we can combine those individual performances, maybe we will be able to do well," Shakib said during the media interaction in Colombo yesterday.

As Shakib mentioned, his only motive is now to win against India. He also brushed aside suggestions that he will not feature in the coming series against New Zealand.

Shakib was also in no mood to divulge what areas of the team he was satisfied with or not satisfied with.

"Actually, what areas I am satisfied with and what areas I am not satisfied with are not things to be discussed in the media. These are topics for the team management to discuss and find solutions to," he said.

Some of the batters have not been in form and for that, all that Shakib had to say was: "They haven't contributed that much and they know that. They are trying to do that."

The skipper also mentioned that he was not quite sure whether Asia Cup performances would affect the side going forward.

However, it is not true that all the batters struggled in the continental championship. Najmul Hossain Shanto is still the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament even after being ruled out of the Asia Cup just after two games due to injury. Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Tawhid Hridoy have found runs as well.

But not everyone has found their feet in important moments.

Shakib himself has struck just one fifty in the tournament. He got dismissed playing similar shots against Sri Lanka in both matches. Against Afghanistan, his cameo was useful in putting up a big score -- the only instance when collective performance was seen from the Tigers in the Asia Cup.

Against Pakistan, he had looked good but perhaps picked the wrong moment to up the ante and lost his wicket. Had he made a bigger score, Bangladesh could have been in a better position in that game.

Without the in-form Shanto, the onus was very much on veterans Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim but they failed to make the the kind of contributions that would have given the team more vitality in crucial match scenarios.

Also, Shamim Hossain and Afif Hossain continuing to disappoint at the lower middle order did not help the Tigers during crunch moments.

Amid all his snarky replies yesterday, Shakib, however, did leave a message for the team.

"I think [Abdur Razzak] Raz bhai said one good thing that day which is that those who are playing in the national team are doing so because they are capable. Here experience or inexperience or new and old doesn't come into the equation. If we can play well as a team it would be good for us," Shakib said.