According to his mentor Mohammad Salahuddin and BCB’s chief physician Dr. Devashish Chowdhury, Shakib came up with this mechanism himself to prevent his head from falling while hitting the ball. He had previously worn a neck brace to correct the position of his head when batting.
“He came up with this strap. It’s entirely his idea. It’s not something we came up with. He’s been working on how to maintain his head position while batting,” Dr Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s been trying to manage that with a neck brace before, so this strap is also in the trial and error phase. He’s been trying it out in the nets. He’s also been doing a lot of shadow batting practice with it.”
Bangladesh batting coach David Hemp agreed, saying he had seen Shakib working with a strap attached to the nets. “It’s something he’s used a number of times in practice over the past few months,” Hemp said. “He’s very comfortable with the strap and feels it helps his head position.”
During an interview shoot in May this year, Shakib was seen constantly practicing shadows in his poses, in an effort to figure out exactly what head position would best suit his current eye condition. According to ESPNcricinfo, Shakib had seen an ophthalmologist in Chennai last week, who said his eyes were improving.
“We all have one dominant eye and if that makes it difficult to see the ball, then it can be a problem,” says Salahuddin, who Shakib often talks about when it comes to his cricket skills.
Salahuddin was delighted to see Shakib gnawing on the rubber strap and trying a new way to correct his head position.
“I think it’s good for him. I didn’t tell him to do it. He came up with the idea. I told him on the phone last night. He puts it around his neck, and when he bites on it, it keeps his neck and head stable. When his head and neck move, his eyes move. It’s not ideal for a hitter.”
Dr. Chowdhury said only Shakib can know whether this latest experiment will work for him. “It’s his personal matter. He will understand whether it works for him or not. As long as it is not harmful to his health, I think it is fine.”
“You look at how much effort a player puts into a game,” Shanto said. “Is he struggling enough to come back? What is his intention for the team? How much he is willing to give to the team.
Bangladesh selector Hannan Sarkar said Shakib’s finger problem arose “after he started bowling” in Chennai but admitted it would have to wait and see if he would be fit for Kanpur.
“Some people might think I’m saying that because I’m asking questions about Shakib. bisexual. I try to see everyone in the same way, from Nahid Rana to Mushfiq(ur). bisexual. More than whether he is scoring or not, I look at his preparation. How he feels about the team. I am happy with the way every member of this Test squad has prepared and is willing to contribute to the team.”
“We still have time to think about Shakib before the next game. We will watch him. He was 100 per cent fit before the Chennai Test,” Sarkar said. “We have heard a lot of discussions about Shakib’s finger (and why he didn’t bowl much in Chennai). It’s not an immediate injury. He didn’t feel any problem before the game. He felt it after he started bowling. He also got hit in the same spot later in the game. That caused some pain.
“We have time to think about it. Shakib can also play as a batsman (in Kanpur). But if he feels it is affecting his batting and bowling, then it will be a different scenario.”
This article has been updated following Hannan Sarkar’s media briefing.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
