Following ‘mighty atom’ Mushfiqur Rahim, ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has decided to put his bat, with what he played in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England, on auction aiming to raise fund to help the people infected with novel coronavirus.
Shakib is the second Bangladeshi cricketer after Mushfiqur Rahim to put his bat on auction, reports news agency UNB.
Earlier, Shakib formed a foundation named ‘Shakib Al Hasan Foundation’ to help the people suffering from the novel virus.
Bangladesh imposed a countrywide shutdown on 25 March, which was later extended until 25 April.
Due to the lockdown, many day-labourers and workers remain stranded. Many of them lost jobs while the other lost their business.
“I’ve decided to put my bat on the auction. I’ve played well with this bat in the World Cup 2019. This bat is one of my favourites,” Shakib said in a Facebook live session on Tuesday.
Shakib smashed 606 runs in the World Cup with two centuries and five fifties in eight games at an average of 86.57. He was just behind Rohit Sharma and David Warner as the most run getter in the event. Along with hitting more than 600 runs, the southpaw took 11 wickets with a five-for as well.
“I played the whole World Cup with this bat. Not just in the World Cup, I played with this bat before and after the World Cup as well. If the decision of putting it on auction helps my countrymen, I’ll be happy,” Shakib added.
He said all of the money from this auction will be allocated to help the people under the Shakib Al Hasan Foundation, and the details will be published on the website of the foundation. The auction is scheduled to begin at 10:00pm on 22 April through a Facebook page named Auction for Action.
Along with Mushfiqur and Shakib, Bangladesh’s former captain Mohammad Ashraful also said he is interested to put his bat, with what he hit his maiden ODI ton back in 2005 against Australia, on auction aiming to the help the people suffering now around the country.
As per the latest update, more than 3,000 confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported in Bangladesh while more than a hundred died.