Shanto wants young players to step up for Shakib, Mahmudullah

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto hoped that the younger players perform well to honour two veterans – Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad, in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.

There is speculation whether this will be the last World Cup appearance for either cricketer in a Bangladesh shirt, with Mahmudullah only returned to the squad after being omitted in the previous edition. Shakib, on the other hand, is the longest-serving cricketer currently active alongside Rohit Sharma of India, both of whom will be playing their ninth World Cups in the format.

When asked what to expect from the two players in this World Cup, during a pre-departure press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Wednesday, Shanto had this to say:

"I don't know if it will be the last World Cup for them (Mahmudullah and Shakib), this is just a perception. But the young players like us will definitely want to give them some good memories since they have played for so long. This is definitely a responsibility of the young players."

Both Shakib and Mahmudullah are reaching the twilight of their careers, one being 37 and the other 38. Part of the Fab Five of Bangladesh cricket, they have seen two others of that group retire from the format and another one still unsure about his future with the national team. If this is indeed the last World Cup for the aforementioned two, Shanto wants one thing from them:

"We don't demand anything extra from Shakib bhai and Riyad bhai. If they perform as per their roles, team will definitely be benefitted. What we will want is that they spread their experience among the other players so that the small improvements can be made," the Bangladesh captain said.