 "Why Shakib Al Hasan wore a strap around his neck in the first India vs Bangladesh Test?")
Shakib Al Hasan was seen biting down on a black strap, which was wrapped around his neck, during the first Test between India and Bangladesh in Chennai. Why? The objective behind the strap was to ensure correct head position when batting.
According to his mentor Mohammad Salahuddin and BCB’s chief physician Dr Debashish Chowdhury, Shakib came up with the idea to keep his head steady when playing the ball. Earlier he wore a neck brace to correct his head position.
The head-positioning problems have been triggered by an eye condition which cropped up last year. After consulting Ophthalmologists in Chennai, London, Dhaka and Singapore, Shakib was diagnosed with Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSC), a condition in which fluid builds up under the retina, which can affect vision.
Subsequently, he was required to work on positioning his head in a way that ensured optimal sighting of the ball, but without his head falling over that it hampered his technique.
“He has come up with this strap. It is completely his idea. It has not come from us. He is working on a way to hold his head position while batting,” Dr Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo. “He was trying to manage this with a neck brace previously, so this strap thing is also in a trial-and-error phase. He has tried it in the nets. He has done a lot of shadows [shadow batting practice] with it too.”
In May, Shakib was seen shadow practicing with his new stance. It was an attempt at figuring out the best head position for him with the prevailing eye condition. In Chennai, the all-rounder met an eye specialist, who told him that his eye is improving.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“We all have one dominant eye, so when that is giving him trouble viewing the ball, then it can be problematic,” Salahuddin said.
When Salahuddin noticed Shakib biting down on the rubber strap, he was pleased that the former captain was trying something new.
“I think it is good for him. I didn’t tell him to do this. He came up with the idea, he was telling me last night on the phone. He ties it up around his neck, and biting down on it allows him to keep his neck and head steady. When the head and neck moves, the eyes also move, which is not ideal for a batter.”
Is the experiment working? “It is personal thing from him. He will understand if it is working for him or not. I think as long as it doesn’t cause a health hazard, it’s fine.”
The eye condition forced Shakib off the field of play during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) this year. He also missed limited over matches against Sri Lanka.
Against India he didn’t make a serious impact with bat or ball. He conceded over six an over from the 21 overs he sent down.
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
