Bangladesh follows cricket more closely than India: Shakib Al Hasan

The craze for the game of cricket in the Asian cricket-playing nations is known to all. The rivalry between the cricket enthusiasts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan speaks volume about the fan following of the game in these regions. While every set of fans can claim that they are the most passionate bunch among all, Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has claimed that his countrymen follow the game more closely than the Indians.

While there is no contradicting on the fact that the Tigers’ have improved their game a lot in the recent few years, they have a very large and crucial task ahead. They will be facing the mighty Australian team for two Test matches and the Bangladeshi players are training hard to make a mark in this series. The flag-bearer of Bangladeshi cricket, Shakib has given some controversial statements while speaking to the media. He has claimed that his team is unbeatable at home.

While those claims have nothing to do with the Indians, his recent declaration might instigate hatred. “The way we like cricket over here, I don’t think even in India they follow the game like that. So, cricket comes before everything else in Bangladesh right now,” said Shakib in a press conference. When asked about the recent meteoric development of Bangladeshi cricket, the all-rounder said: “This achievement is something big for us cricketers.”

Australia is the best team in the world

While Shakib claimed that they are pretty much unbeatable at home, he also clarified that in his opinion, there is no better team of cricket than Australia. “Whatever team Australia brings and in whatever situation – they are always a difficult opponent. There is no better team in the world than Australia when it comes to being able to adapt to various places. So this is a very challenging series for us,” he concluded.