Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan was caught biting down on a black strap around his neck while batting during the Chennai Test. He attempted to keep his head correctly while at the crease.
According to a source , Shakib Ak Hasan came up with this device on his own to keep his head from toppling over when playing the ball. According to his mentor Muhammad Salahuddin, and the chief medical officer of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Dr. Debashish Chowdhury.
He had done the same with a neck brace in the past.
Shakib has trouble placing his head because of an eye ailment identified last year. He was diagnosed with Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSC). This disorder causes fluid to accumulate behind the retina. It can cause vision distortion, according to ophthalmologists in Chennai, London, Dhaka, and Singapore. Shakib Ak Hasan has spent numerous hours honing his head position to guarantee the best possible sight of the ball while keeping good technique.
“This strap is his invention. He came up with the idea entirely. We are not the source of it. He is figuring out how to maintain his head position when batting, according to a remark from Dr. Chowdhury.
Shakib’s eye doctor in Chennai attested to the improvement in his eye.
“This strap issue is also at the trial-and-error stage because he was attempting to manage this with a neck brace previously. In the nets, he has attempted it. He has also used it for a lot of shadow batting practice,” he continued.
“It is something that Shakib has been using during practice at various times over the last few months,” stated David Hemp, the batting coach for Bangladesh, according to ESPNcricinfo.
“He is very comfortable using the strap and feels that it assists his head position,” he stated.
During an interview session in May, Shakib often rehearsed his batting stance. He was doing this as part of his attempt to determine the best head position for his eye issue. Shakib Ak Hasan recently visited his eye doctor in Chennai, who told him that his eye condition is improving.
“We all have one dominant eye, so when that is giving him trouble viewing the ball, then it can be problematic,” said Salahuddin.
Salahuddin was happy to observe Shakib attempting to realign his head position with the rubber strap approach.
“I believe it will benefit him. This is not what I told him to do. He told me over the phone last night how he came up with the notion. He fastens it around his neck so that he can maintain the stability of his head and neck by biting down on it. It’s not ideal for a batter when the head and neck move because the eyes move too,” he continued.
“It’s a personal matter for him. Whether or not it is effective for him, he will comprehend. I believe it’s okay as long as there’s no health risk,” he said.
Shakib missed a few matches in the BPL this year and did Bangladesh’s white-ball matches against Sri Lanka due to an eye ailment.
He returned to international cricket at the second Test match at Chattogram against Sri Lanka. He played in the 2024 T20 World Cup, the Zimbabwe T20 International, and the USA T20 International.
Likewise, he played for Surrey against Somerset in the County Championship earlier this month. He was crucial to Bangladesh’s 2-0 victory over Pakistan in the Test series.
But Shakib’s batting display during the Chennai Test was lackluster; in the 21 overs he bowled, he let up more than six runs per over, raising concerns about a potential finger injury.
Najmul Hossain Shanto, the captain of Bangladesh, explained his decision not to deploy Shakib Ak Hasan in the opening innings, citing the three pace bowlers’ outstanding performances. In the press conference that followed the game, he defended the experienced all-rounder’s position on the squad.
“I consider the amount of effort a player puts into his game,” Shanto, the captain of Bangladesh, had previously told the media.
“If he is having enough difficulty to recover. What goal do they have for their team? How much he is prepared to contribute to the group “he continued.
Bangladesh selector Hannan Sarkar said on Monday that Shakib’s finger problem didn’t surface until he started bowling in Chennai. He said they would have to wait to find out if Shakib Ak Hasan would be ready for the Kanpur game.
“We still have time to consider Shakib Ak Hasan before our upcoming match. We’ll watch him closely. Prior to the Chennai Test, he was completely fit,” Sarkar informed the media.
“Shakib’s finger has been the topic of many conversations (and why he did not bowl a lot in Chennai). It cannot be immediately classified as an injury. Prior to the game, he was not aware of the issue. After he started to bowl, he felt it. Later in the game, he was struck in the same spot again. That has hurt a little bit,” he continued.
“We can consider it over time. Shakib Ak Hasan may potentially bat for the Kanpur team. That will be a different situation, though, if he believes that it is impacting both his bowling and batting,” Sarkar said.
Shakib Al Hasan is a professional cricket player who always tries to improve and acquire an advantage over his rivals. He has come up with a novel method to improve his hitting abilities. By concentrating on his feet and timing, he can better read the ball and make snap decisions on how to play each delivery with this creative method.
Shakib Ak Hasan intends to improve his batting consistency and eventually help his side score more runs by focusing on these areas of his game. His devotion to excellence in cricket is evident in his openness to try new things and his relentless pursuit of skill improvement. Observing how his on-field performance is affected by this new strategy in the following games will be interesting.