Captain hopes that Shakib will do something special in the Pakistan series

The first Test of the Pakistan-Bangladesh series will commence at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from August 21-25. Before the match, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto spoke at a press conference about the current situation in Bangladesh and the issue surrounding Shakib Al Hasan. Shanto mentioned that the entire team recognizes Shakib as a cricketer in the dressing room and hopes that the all-rounder will make a significant impact in this series.

The events of July-August have brought about a revolutionary change in Bangladesh. There has been a popular uprising, leading to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, and the country is now under an interim administration. Following the political instability, Bangladesh is slowly recovering. A new government has been formed, and the situation in the country is becoming more stable. Captain Shanto expressed his hope that the people of Bangladesh will remain well and that their games will proceed smoothly.

Shanto said, “We have had a very tough time recently. It has been very unfortunate. Everyone has struggled a lot. It’s something none of us expected. What has happened has happened, and there’s no point dwelling on it now. We need to move forward. However, the overall situation was very difficult for every family and every person. I hope that in the days to come, we will be able to navigate things well. As cricketers, we want our games to proceed properly. We hope we can play our games in good health. This is what we are hoping for.”

Shakib Al Hasan was a member of the ruling Awami League party. Following a dramatic student-led national uprising against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh Parliament was dissolved, resulting in Shakib losing his position as an MP. He is now focusing fully on cricket. Captain Shanto believes that Shakib’s form will likely improve in this series:

“No, I don’t think so. Because he is a professional cricketer, and we all treat him as a cricketer, to be honest. He has been playing this game for a long time. So, he knows his responsibilities and how to prepare himself. I am not thinking about his political career. I hope he will do something special in this series.”