In Shantos Eyes, Bangladeshs World Cup Journey Demands Mental Strength, Not Acting

With less than a month remaining for the start of the World Cup, Bangladesh’s participation is still not guaranteed. Instead of thrilling moments on the field, the focus is now on the country’s cricketing unrest and controversies. Players are dealing with pressures from various incidents and decisions before they can even prepare mentally, which could impact their performance in the tournament.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who captained the team in the last T20 World Cup, is not part of this year’s World Cup squad. Yet, he shared his perspective on the state of cricket in the country. Speaking after a BPL match in Sylhet, where he led the Rajshahi team, Shanto said:
“If you look at our World Cup results, we have never really played great cricket. Last year we did well, but there was room to do even better. We couldn’t. But you will see, something or the other always happens before each World Cup. I have played two or three World Cups, and these things do have an impact.”
According to Shanto, while cricketers display professionalism on the field, they constantly face mental pressure off it. He cautioned:
“We act as if, ‘No, nothing affects us, we are great professional cricketers.’ But you know, we are acting. It’s not easy. Cricketers still try to put all that aside and perform for the team. But it would be better if these things didn’t happen at all.”
Most importantly, Shanto wanted to send a positive message to the team. He added:
“Even so, I would say that if we go to the World Cup with the right mindset, acting or not, wherever we play, the focus should be on how I can do well for the team.”
The Bangladesh World Cup squad now faces mental pressure in a unique context. Alongside preparing on the field, managing controversies and maintaining mental resilience will be the biggest challenges for this year’s team.
On the ongoing unrest involving Tamim Iqbal, Shanto commented:
“It’s very unfortunate to make such a remark about Tamim Iqbal. We made a comment about someone who is a former captain and one of Bangladesh’s most successful cricketers. Any of our cricketers can be successful or not, but everyone deserves respect. There is a place for that respect. Such a great cricketer, having done so much for Bangladesh, should not be spoken about in this way.”