Shakib would get back to form soon: Mortaza

Mashrafe lauded Shakib’s effort with both the bat and the ball against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup at the Shere-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday and the Bangladesh captain was looking forward to equally good performances from him in the upcoming match against Pakistan on Wednesday. 

Shakib scored a gritty 32 off 34 balls in a crucial partnership with Sabbir Rahman before bagging two wickets to help Bangladesh earn their first ever Twenty20 International win over Sri Lanka. The 28-year-old had scored just 3 against India in the opener, before being dismissed for 13 against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the following match. He took three wickets in those two matches. “I actually think of Shakib as a human being, not as an alien. 

Rough patches will come. It feels good to see him step up. He is one of the best players in our team,” Mashrafe said. “He has always done what is required for the team and is still at it. He may not always succeed. We also want him to always do well. But at the end of the day, he, too, is a human being and can make mistakes.”