'It might have affected the team' - Shakib Al Hasan on verbal tussle with Tamim Iqbal affecting team morale in CWC 2023

Bangladesh's woes in the ODI World Cup 2023 continued as they lost their fifth straight game in the competition on Saturday, October 28 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Scott Edwards-led Netherlands defeated the Asian side by 87 runs in a low-scoring contest at the iconic venue.

After the defeat, Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan admitted that his verbal tussle with Tamim Iqbal prior to the start of the marquee event could have affected the morale of the players in his team. For the unversed, Tamim was excluded from Bangladesh's 15-member squad for the ODI World Cup on fitness grounds.

However, the southpaw later revealed that he had asked the selectors to not pick him after being asked by a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) member to relinquish his opening slot and bat in the middle order. Shakib publicly termed Tamim's behaviour as childish.

“It might have affected the team. It’s not unusual. You don’t know what an individual has in his mind but I am not disagreeing with the fact that (the controversy) might have affected us," Shakib said after the loss against the Netherlands.

'You can say that' - Shakib Al Hasan agrees CWC 2023 campaign worst in Bangladesh history

The star all-rounder was asked if this is Bangladesh's worst campaign in the ODI World Cup 2023. Shakib agreed to this while coming down heavily on his team.

“You can say that (this is Bangladesh’s worst ever World Cup campaign) and I wouldn’t say otherwise. We were pretty underprepared coming into this tournament but we can’t use that as an excuse,” the 36-year-old stated.

On a personal front as well, it has been a forgettable campaign for Shakib. He was the third-leading run-getter in the 2019 edition of the World Cup but this time, he has just scored 61 runs in five innings at 12.20. His performance with the ball has been slightly better as he has scalped seven wickets at 34.57.

Bangladesh will return to Eden Gardens on Tuesday, October 31 to face Pakistan. After this game, they will play Sri Lanka on November 6 and Australia on November 11 to end the league phase.