Bangladesh's cricket captain on Tuesday expressed confidence that all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will perform at his best in a Test match against Pakistan this week, following protests over the former lawmaker's participation. Shakib, 37, was a member of Bangladesh's now-dissolved parliament, led by ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was forced to flee the country earlier this month following mass protests. The interim government last week allowed Shakib, who has not commented on the political crisis, to play in the two Tests against Pakistan, the first of which begins on Wednesday.
“He has been playing this game for so long that he knows his role and how to prepare. I am not thinking about his political career,” Bangladesh skipper and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said at a press conference.
Asked if the political setback would affect Shakib's performance, Shanto said: “I don't think so because he is a professional cricketer. We all treat him as a cricketer, to be honest.”
“I hope he will do something special in this series,” he added.
Shakib is Bangladesh's leading all-rounder with 4,505 runs in 67 Tests and as a spinner he has taken 237 wickets – the most by any Bangladesh bowler in Test cricket.
Bangladeshis in Dhaka protested against Shakib's continued participation in the team. Former Bangladesh Cricket Board member Rafiqul Islam also criticized him for remaining silent while clashes with security forces left protesters dead.
Shakib joined the Pakistan squad last week after participating in the Global T20 League in Canada, where Bangladeshis also chanted slogans against him.
Due to the unrest in Dhaka, the team could not meet for training.
The tourists were granted a reprieve after the Pakistan Cricket Board invited them to arrive four days early to make up for their lack of preparation.
However, Shanto hoped that Bangladesh could improve on their poor Test record against Pakistan, having lost 12 of their last 13 Tests and drawing just once.
“We have a balanced side and I hope we play good cricket,” Shanto said. “I think the record can be changed, it's not easy but we believe we can do some special things.”
The Rawalpindi Test is threatened by bad weather, with rain forecast for all five days.
The second test match will be played at the same stadium on August 30.
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