Bangladesh captain Shanto urges fans to stick by the team during difficult times

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has called for fans to support the cricket team and stick by them during tough times.

The Tigers recently endured a humiliating T20I series defeat against T20 World Cup co-hosts the USA in what is widely being considered the lowest point in the country's cricket history.

Shanto however also spoke about how fans supporting them abroad has been an inspiration for the team too. 

"It's a massive inspiration when fans outside the country support us. The way people follow cricket here motivates us as well. And all I ask is for the fans to stay by our side if God forbid, any bad times come for us in the tournament," Shanto said in a video released by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on its socials on Wednesday. 

Despite the poor results and their first World Cup warm-up match against the USA being washed out, Shanto's spirits have not dampened and he's looking forward to leading the team.

"Every player has a dream to represent their country. If it's in a grand stage like the World Cup it's a matter of pride and excitement. At the same time, it's about enjoying that moment," he said. 

Shanto has been going through a difficult patch with the bat though and averages just 21.55 with a poor strike rate of 102.64 in 11 T20Is this year. 

"I want to contribute to the team and take care of my responsibilities properly. That's the target. I don't want to think that being captain is a burden or too much responsibility. I want to enjoy every moment and do something good for the team, he explained. 

The 25-year-old feels having experienced guys like Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan will benefit the younger members of the team including him during captaincy immensely.

"It's a massive plus point to have them (guys like Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan) as they have the experience. It's going to inspire the younger members of the squad to do better. Plus, during tough times, if I need any advice, they always help."

While the left-handed top-order batter doesn't have any extra expectations from any player and wants everyone to contribute equally, he's looking forward to seeing Shakib giving the younger members his knowledge from past World Cup experiences. 

"I have equal expectations from every player. It's about them doing their roles properly and contributing. I'd definitely like Shakib Bhai to impart as much knowledge to the younger members of the team during the tournament and it's something he already does," Shanto added.

The all-format captain for the Tigers is not willing to speak too much about results after some poor ones recently, but he wants the team to follow their processes and hopes the results will come with that. 

"For me, it's not about the outcome first, but the process. If we follow our processes properly, the results will be there."

"As we all know, the ultimate goal is to play very well as a team and go as far as possible in the tournament, something we have not been able to do in the past," he explained.

Shanto is happy with his team's chemistry and is upbeat about what the team can achieve if they click as a unit.

"We've got great bonding as a team and the members of the squad, all 15 of us know each other well. There's a good mix of youth and experience and we've been playing together for a while now so the possibilities are exciting."

"The focus is working on the small details and getting them right. As I said, if we work on the processes well, the results will come. We all have dreams of winning the cup, but it's about taking it game by game and doing the little things right at first," he concluded.