Shakib says Sri Lanka win ‘will bring the noise down’

There may be debates about whether the choice to appeal for the first-ever timed out dismissal in international cricket history, which eventually saw the back of Sri Lanka batter Angelo Mathews, is in line with the spirit of the game, but Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan was bold enough to declare that he was at “war”.

When asked if he would have done the same thing if Bangladesh were not desperate to get back on track after six consecutive defeats, he replied, “Whether I would have done this in another time or not, I am not sure, but today we had to win the game.

“But when you’re at war, you should agree to do whatever it takes to win the game for your team and nation, and that’s what I did,” Shakib told reporters at the post-match press conference.

Shakib also stated that the ICC ought to look into the situation and amend the rule if the spirit of the game is called into question.

Shakib went on to reveal what happened when Mathews walked out to bat in the World Cup and failed to take the guard within the two-minute time limit set by the ICC.

“One of our team mates told me that the batter will be given out if I appeal. So I appealed to the umpire after that and the umpire asked me whether I would stick to my decision. I said I want to.

“We have been playing since 2006 against each other during the under-19 days. I know him [Mathews] very well and he knows me very well. He asked me whether I would withdraw my appeal as I said, ‘I understand your situation but I won’t change my mind’.”

It was the first time in the game’s 146-year history that a batter was timed out. When asked what he would have done if he were in Mathews’ situation, Shakib said, “I will be careful, [so that] it doesn’t happen to me.”

There were tense moments during the game after the incident in which the Sri Lankan players refused to shake hands with the Bangladesh players after losing by three wickets, their first loss against the Tigers in the World Cup.

The victory, on the other hand, came as a big relief for Bangladesh, as it kept their hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy alive, courtesy of a match-winning 169-run third-wicket stand between Shakib and Najmul Hossain Shanto, setting the platform to chase down 279 runs.

Player-of-the-match Shakib was dismissed after reaching 82 off 65 balls with 12 fours and two sixes, while Shanto was dismissed after scoring ninety off 101 balls with twelve boundaries.

Despite a late twist in which Bangladesh lost a few quick wickets, Towhid Hridoy (15 not out) and Tanzim Hasan Sakib (5 not out) guided the Tigers beyond the winning line with 53 balls to spare.

“I think todays’ game will give us a lot of confidence in the dressing room as it will certainly calm down the dressing room and the noise will also come down to some extent which will help them to play better,” Shakib said.

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