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At the post-match press conference, after Bangladesh’s 280-run defeat to India in the first Test at Chepauk on Sunday, Najmul Hossain Shanto was asked to address the elephant in the room. The Bangladesh captain initially was taken a little aback before recovering quickly and handling it well. The question was about Shakib Al Hasan’s poor form, be it batting, bowling or fielding.
As far as his batting is concerned, the ex-Bangladesh skipper had a so-so outing in the first Test, scoring 32 in the first innings and 25 in the second. He bowled just eight overs in the first innings and 13 in the second, leaking runs and going wicketless in the game. He also couldn’t take a half-chance that Rishabh Pant had offered in the first innings.
Shakib is Bangladesh’s best cricketer ever, with 14,721 runs and 708 wickets in international cricket (Tests, ODIs and T20Is combined) to his name. But the 37-year-old appears to be in decline and his performances of late attest to that.
Over the last one-and-a-half years, Shakib has played five Tests, scoring 233 runs and taking 11 wickets. His batting average has gone down to 33.28 (career average – 38.33) and his bowling average has shot up to 45.81 (career average – 31.85). In the two-Test series against Pakistan, that preceded the ongoing series in India, the senior player made 38 runs in three innings and accounted for five scalps. In fact, while announcing the squad for the Tests in India, Bangladesh selector Hannan Sarkar had spoken about Shakib’s batting, that he was “not in rhythm”.
A story is doing the rounds that an eye problem has been affecting Shakib’s cricket. According to sources, his right eye is accumulating fluid under stress, troubling his vision. The player consulted an eye specialist in Chennai during last year’s 50-over World Cup and also went to England and Singapore for treatment. The problem has forced him to change his stance and make it more open.
A Bangladesh team official admitted that Shakib has an eye issue, but he refused to believe that it is contributing to a downturn in the southpaw’s form. “Yes, he (Shakib) has undergone treatment for his eye issue, but it is certainly not affecting his cricket,” the official told RevSportz on condition of anonymity. “Shakib is a great player and he is a thorough professional. If the eye problem were affecting his cricket, he would have told us and taken a break. This is just a lean patch and nothing more should be read into it. He will bounce back.”
Shanto spoke about how Shakib has been putting in a lot of effort to get back to form. “As a captain, I look at how much effort a player is putting in to come back strong, the intent he is showing,” he said. “How much he is contributing to the team. Is he giving his 100 per cent? This is applicable to everyone, from Nahid Rana (the junior-most cricketer in the team) to Mushfiqur Rahim (the senior-most).”
Shakib hasn’t been scoring runs or taking a bagful of wickets at the moment. But the Bangladesh team management has decided to back him, at least publicly.
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