Fahim commends Shakib for standing tall against odds

|| CF DESK ||

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director Nazmul Abedin Fahim credited underfire all-rounder Shakib al Hasan's strong spirit for the game and his ability to perform amid the ongoing criticism and challenges.

Shakib yet again showed his class by helping Bangladesh secure their maiden Test win against Pakistan despite being alleged of a murder case during the match.

Shakib's participation in the Test drew protests at home over his political ties to a dissolved political party. Despite such a scenario, the southpaw took three crucial wickets along with Mehidy Hasan Miraz's 4-21 to propel the Tigers to seal a 10-wicket win over the host for the first time. 

Though Shakib's bowling was criticised in the first innings for not being able to yield good a figure 1-100, he also performed poorly with the willow. But his mentor also the newly-appointed BCB director lauded Shakib for his strong show despite all the challenges.

“It's not because of strong mentality. I believe that athletes, regardless of their background when they step onto the field. They solely focus on their game and block out any negative thoughts. As for Shakib, he can focus exclusively on the task at hand. Other thoughts might come to his mind, but when it's time to bowl, he is completely focused. That's what sets him apart from others. We've seen that certain incidents and criticisms prevent other cricketers from playing natural game, but that's not the case with Shakib,” said Fahim.

Fahim also noted that Shakib has shown improvement, particularly in his performance against left-handers, bowling confidently like a 'proper Test bowler'.

“We've seen it in his bowling. We noticed that he doesn't bowl comfortably against left-handers, but we didn't see that yesterday. He bowls like a proper Test bowler. When he bowls, he does so with confidence in himself, regardless of the situation with right-handers or left-handers. Whenever the ball is given to him, he bowls to take wickets. He’s also communicating and advising others. He had some dissatisfaction with his bowling, but that's gone now. His confidence has returned, and this will help him in the future,” he added.