Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto on Tuesday was confident that veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will compete at his best during the Test series against Pakistan, which is set to commence this week, after protests over the former lawmaker’s inclusion. Shakib, 37, was a member of the now dissolved Bangladesh parliament led by ex-premier Sheikh Hasina, who was forced to flee the country at the start of the month following mass protests.
The interim government last week gave permission for Shakib, who has so far not commented on the political crisis, to feature in the two Tests against Pakistan.
“He has played this game for so, long so he knows his role and how to prepare himself. I am not thinking about his political career. I hope he will do something special in this series,” Shanto said during a press conference.
When asked if the political setback will affect Shakib’s performance, Shanto said, “I don’t think so because he is a professional cricketer, we all treat him as a cricketer, to be honest.”
Bangladeshis in Dhaka protested over Shakib’s continued inclusion in the team, with former Bangladesh Cricket Board member Rafiqul Islam criticizing him for staying silent as protesters died in clashes with security forces.
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