Shakib bears brunt of criticism after off-color showing with the ball sees him concede almost 80 runs in his 13 overs.
Shakib has been subject to harsh criticism after a rather poor showing in the first test against India.
The absence of overs and hints that he is dealing with a number of injuries have prompted concerns about Shakib Al Hasan’s place in this test.
Shakib bowled seven overs on the third day after captain Najmul Hossain Shanto pulled him into the attack a bit late. On Saturday, Shakib became the oldest Test cricket player in Bangladeshi history. Uncharacteristically, Shakib was smashed for six fours and two sixes by Rishabh Pant.
Ultimately, Shakib concluded with the highest match figures of his Test career. Additionally, despite delivering at least 20 overs in a Test, it was only the fifth time Shakib had gone wicketless in the match. The former Indian left-arm spinner Murali Kartik revealed on radio that Shakib had told him about discomfort on his spinning finger and shoulder as Shanto kept him off the attack for the majority of the morning session on Saturday.
“Having seen him and known him for such a long period of time, I did go up to him and ask the reason why he has not bowled enough,” Kartik said. “And the thing which he said to me is something I completely resonate with. He’s had a finger surgery on his bowling finger which is the point of his finger of his left hand. It is swollen, it is rigid, there’s no movement no suppleness to it. So he feels he is not getting any feeling out of it. As a spinner you need the feeling. Also he is having issues with his shoulder. So it’s a combination of both and it’s tough to bowl in Test cricket where you need that feel as a spinner.”