Biggest Challenge Is To Pick Up From Where I Had Left The Game: Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh ace Shakib Al Hasan has admitted that it would be challenging for him to pick-up the game from where he had left off when he finally returns to the field after serving his suspension. Just a couple of months after his heroics in last year’s World Cup, the Bangladesh star was banned from all forms of the game for two years in October.

One year of that term is suspended as he was punished for breaching ICC’s Anti-corruption Code. Shakib Al Hasan will be eligible to return to top flight cricket on October 29. The allrounder will be desperate to hit the ground running and make up for the lost time but he is under no illusion that the comeback would be tough.

Before the ban, Shakib Al Hasan had a stunning 2019 as he slammed 606 runs in 8 innings and also picked up 11 wickets. He slammed two centuries and five half-centuries during the group stage although Bangladesh could not progress ahead of the league stage.

“First of all, I want to return to the game. I will return to the game after 4-5 months,” Shakib was quoted as saying by DW Bangla as per Cricbuzz.

“No other decision will be taken before that. The biggest challenge is to be able to start again from where I had stopped, that is what I’m expecting from myself. Wish I can start from where I ended up. That is the challenge for me, nothing else,” he added.

Shakib Al Hasan faced the ban from ICC after failing to report corrupt approaches. Speaking about that, the ace said one has to sometimes pay for being ignorant. He also revealed that staying away from the game took a toll on his mental health.

“I have realized that there are certain things that you just cannot take lightly due to ignorance and probably that is the biggest lesson I learnt during this time,” Shakib Al Hasan said.

“It is very difficult time for me because at the back of the mind you always think that I am not playing or not being able to play. For me making sure that I am not depressed is extremely important as I am locked down in my house,” he added.

During his absence, Bangladesh have had a tough time on the field. They were thrashed by India and Pakistan. While India beat them 2-1 in T20Is and 2-0 in Tests, Pakistan beat them 2-0 in T20Is and 1-0 in Test.

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