All-rounder Saif Hassan has admitted the squad was deeply hurt by not being part of the global tournament but insists it is now time to shift focus to upcoming ODI commitments.
Bangladesh chose not to travel to India due to security concerns, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) allowed Scotland to replace them in the competition. Initially, the interim government described the move as a governmental decision.
However, former Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul later said the cricketers had taken the decision themselves, leaving players, coaches and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in an uncomfortable position.
Senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin previously revealed that two players were mentally affected by missing the tournament.
Speaking ahead of the Bangladesh Cricket League final, Saif said, “Deep inside, in our hearts and minds, everyone felt sad about not being able to play in the World Cup. There is nothing to deny.”
“But I think as professional cricket players, moving forward is very important. Since we are entering into ODI cricket now and there is an ODI World Cup ahead, the sooner we prepare for it, the better.”
Pakistan are set to tour Bangladesh on April 9 for a three-match ODI series led by Salman Agha. Saif said he is not placing extra expectations on himself but hopes to use the series to move past the disappointment.
“I don’t have any extra expectations from myself for the ODI series. But I will try to play the best cricket possible and reach the highest level I can,” he said.
“In the last one to one-and-a-half years, I haven’t had many opportunities to play ODIs. The few we played were in between T20 matches. Now that we have proper ODI series ahead, preparation will be much more important.”
