Razzak backs Naim despite heavy criticism
Naim Sheikh
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Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) selector Abdur Razzak was upset with outside talk and hit back with a question of why the selectors and staff are blamed if a particular player can't perform.
Opener Naim Sheikh was highly criticized for his slow and sloppy batting in the ongoing Asia Cup. The left-handed batter scored only 85 runs in the last four matches.
Razzak stated that Naim was able to prove his worth in the DPL by becoming the second-highest scorer and he was selected on his merit.
“Some poor matches do not label a cricketer as a poor performer. Naim’s previous record is good. He had a good season in the Premier League. However, he is not being able to perform as per expectations. That doesn't mean he's a bad player. The media will criticize, that's their job. It is better to criticize within a boundary,” said Razzak.
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Razzak believes that selectors, captains, and coaches bear no responsibility because of Naim’s performance and he urged the latter to identify and address his own issues.
“He did really well in the domestic leagues. He ticked all the points to be able to play in the national team. That is why he was selected. He couldn't click in the Asia Cup. If a player can't perform, the blame is either on the selectors or the board president, or the fault of the captain and coach. I don’t know, why we look for so much fault," he said.
"If a player can’t perform up to the mark, there is nothing else to do. He will figure it out by himself and reform.” he added.
The Tigers managed to bounce back with a win against Afghanistan in the Group Stage of the Asia Cup but has so far failed to live up to the expectations in the Super Four stage, losing to both Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
