For many years, Shakib Al Hasan has been the ‘driver’ of the Bangladesh team, single-handedly pulling the team through numerous matches.
However, that is no longer the case. Especially in this World Cup, his performance has come under scrutiny, a rare occurrence in Shakib’s career.
In the first two matches of the World Cup, Shakib did not perform well with either bat or ball. Against Sri Lanka, he scored only 8 runs and gave away 30 runs in 4 overs. In the following match against South Africa, he bowled just one over, conceding 6 runs, and was dismissed for 3 runs with the bat.
Shakib’s performance had been below expectations even before this. There has been considerable criticism, and there are even discussions about dropping him from the playing XI. However, Shakib continues to receive full support from the team. Bangladesh will play their third World Cup match against the Netherlands on Thursday night. Ahead of this match, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was asked about Shakib’s performance.
Shanto responded, “None of us want to talk about Shakib’s performance because we all know how well he has played over the years. He is trying his best and working hard. I wouldn’t say he needs to make a comeback. He is in a good place and I hope he will deliver even better in the coming days.”
Since the last ODI World Cup, Shakib Al Hasan has been dealing with eye problems. He has undergone treatment several times, which has led to changes in his batting style. Is his eye problem still affecting his batting?
In response to this question, captain Shanto said, “No, I don’t think it’s the eye problem. Everything seems fine. Whether it’s batting or bowling in practice, he is comfortable in all aspects.”
“In this format, it’s normal to have one or two bad innings. As a captain, I don’t feel any extra pressure about it, and I know he doesn’t feel such pressure either.”
