Fans’ expectations always inspire Messi devotee Shakib

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan said during an interview with prominent commentator Harsha Bhogle on Cricbuzz that the fans' expectations always inspire him to perform well in a game. Shakib mentioned that being a fan of Barcelona and Argentine superstar Lionel Messi -- who always steps on the pitch with a lot of expectations -- the all-rounder can realize how much Bangladesh's fans expect from him.  

"How does it feel to have all this stardom in a cricket-crazy nation like Bangladesh? Does it bring along a lot of responsibilities and pressure?", Harsha asked Shakib during the first part of the interview. 

"I think along with the stardom, it also brings a lot of responsibilities and a lot of expectations," answered Shakib. 

Shakib, an avid fan of Messi, always expects a match-winning performance from the Argentine superstar. Shakib mentioned that the Bangladesh fans also have similar expectations from him and that such expectations only motivate him in doing well. 

"This actually motivates me. I am a huge fan of Lionel Messi. Whenever I watch his game and I see him underperforming then I ask myself, 'why could he not perform well in this game?'. I think to myself that maybe Messi should have performed better and helped his team more in this game. So, similarly I can also feel that Bangladesh fans also want me to perform in every game and that actually motivates me," explained Shakib.