Shakib AL Hasan casts uncertainty on availability for SL series

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has expressed uncertainty about participating in the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka due to the challenges he is currently facing with his eye condition. He also said that he will speak with the board regarding his future as a Bangladesh ODI format skipper.

Shakib has been dealing with a blurred vision in his left eye and will go through a conservative treatment for it. His last appearance for Bangladesh came during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

In the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League, Shakib is operating more as a spinner than an allrounder for Rangpur Riders as he did not come out to bat in two games.

Bangladesh are scheduled to host Sri Lanka after the BPL for a full series in March, comprising two Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is.

"We are still playing the tournament. I will speak to the officials, and then take the decision (about playing the Sri Lanka series or not). I will take a decision in this regard (ODI captaincy) after talking with the board but we still have not discussed it," Shakib said after Rangpur Riders' 77-run win over the Sylhet Strikers on Saturday.

The all-rounder went to England and Singapore to take the opinions of leading doctors there regarding an issue with his left eye. However, Shakib is yet to find out what is the exact problem with his eyes.

"I don't know when this (eyes) will improve. This thing that you are repeating about my eye, eye, eye, eye. There's no problem in the eye. What you see wearing spectacles, I can see better than you. We are trying to find what has gone wrong. I went to Singapore to see what happened to my eyes and body and we are trying to find out where the problem is," he said.

Adding to the complexity, a BCB official told Cricbuzz that Shakib is advised to undergo hypnosis to address any potential psychosomatic factors that might be contributing to his eye condition.

"It can be like he is carrying some problem in his eyes. You can cure the physical problem but how can you cure the psychological problem. Hypnosis is a method, a stress management method through which you can solve psychosomatic problem and he (Neuron Ophthalmologists) suggested that through hypnosis they can try and solve the psychosomatic problem that he (Shakib) is carrying," the official told Cricbuzz trying to explain his present condition.