Shanto Says He Will Keep On-Field Intensity in Check as Good Umpires Will Be Present in Friendly Match

The special friendly match featuring cricketers, organised ahead of Victory Day, has already sparked excitement and curiosity. Current and former stars of the Bangladesh national team will take the field divided into two sides. The teams, named Odommo and Oporajeyo, will be captained by Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto respectively.

Sharing his excitement about the match, Shanto said the experience would be completely new for him. He believes such an event, outside the regular schedule of international cricket, offers a different kind of feeling for players.“Very excited. I haven’t had the opportunity to play a match like this before. There will be no letting go at all—I’ll give it everything,” Shanto said.

When asked about preparations for the match, Shanto presented the matter in a humorous tone. He hinted that instead of formal practice sessions, all preparations are happening verbally.Jokingly, Shanto said, “You won’t see any preparation on the field. All the preparation is happening through conversations. I might give it everything on the field, or I might just lie down there—anything can happen.”
Although it is a friendly match, Shanto agreed that there would still be competitive intensity on the field. However, he also made it clear that discipline and regulations are on his mind, especially the risk of receiving demerit points.

Speaking on this, he said, “The intensity will definitely be there. But it can’t be shown too much. I heard there will be good umpires. So the intensity can’t be shown excessively—otherwise I might end up getting demerit points.”

Despite being in regular contact with Miraz, the captain of the Odommo side, Shanto also expressed a light-hearted suspicion regarding the squad. His comments about the absence of a few players were filled with playful humour.Laughing, Shanto said, “I’m a bit worried. I heard that five players from our team won’t be able to play. Now I’m starting to suspect whether they were threatened over phone calls or something!”