‘Unfortunately, we didn’t get the performances we needed from Shanto’

Bangladesh ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal said that Najmul Hossain Shanto is a player for the future but the skipper reiterated that he felt the left-hander needed a rest. Najmul was not picked in the 15-member squad for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka and Tamim felt that the team did not find the performances they needed from Najmul.

Scores of 1, 17 and 20 in the home ODI series against West Indies did not help Najmul's case and despite being in the squad, he did not play any ODIs during Bangladesh's tour of New Zealand.

Tamim was asked about Najmul's exclusion during a virtual press conference today. "He played 8-9 ODIs and unfortunately, we didn't get the performances we needed from him. On a personal level, the team management and selectors feel that Shanto is our future and not being in the squad for one series does not mean everything is over," Tamim said.

Despite a ton in the drawn Test at Kandy against the Lankans, Najmul's form has been inconsistent even as he got a few starts. His ton in the BPL and then the Bangabandhu T20 Cup had seen him come up to the national team and Tamim felt that it was necessary for Najmul to score runs in domestic cricket and return strongly once more.

"As a skipper, I feel Shanto has a lot to give to the team. Maybe he needs a rest from this format. Then he has to score runs in domestic cricket and return to the side strongly. It's not that we haven't shown patience because he was excluded or that he is not in our plans," Tamim concluded.