Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believes that ace allrounder Shakib Al Hasan will deliver a special performance, leaving behind the ongoing situation at home, that keeps him in a discomfort state. Shakib joined the side straight in Pakistan from USA and is yet to return to Bangladesh since the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Shakib, who was elected as a member of parliament from Awami League in the general elections held in this year's January, was in Canada taking part in the Global T20 League when the parliament got dissolved. He has been vehemently criticized and some even jeered him in Canada during the Global T20 League for his silence during the student protests. And with the change of government, the place of Shakib also looked shaky as he was out of the country. However Shakib showed his desire to continue cricket and the team management kept him in the squad on his merit, considering him a cricketer only, not a political personality. The situation is believed to ta ke a toll on his mental state but Shanto ruled it out, saying as a professional cricketer Shakib has the ability to deal with any adversities. "He is a professional cricketer, and we all treat him as a cricketer," Shanto said of Shakib. "He has been playing cricket for so long and so he knows his role, he knows how to prepare himself. I'm not thinking about his political career. I hope he will do something special in this series." An eye problem of Shakib was detected during the 2023 ODI World Cup and since then it has been problematic for him, keeping his batting ability at bay. Head coach Chadika Hahturusingha however said that Shakib looks okay as far as his eyes are concerned. The Bangladesh's record against Pakistan is abysmal, having lost 12 out of 13. The rest one is drawn. The Tigers also lost all five Tests they have played on Pakistan soil with the one-wicket defeat in Multan back in 2003 being their best performance by far. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha
