Shakib Al Hasan wraps black strap around his neck while batting against India in Chennai. Here’s why?

India won the first test against Bangladesh by 280 runs at Chennai’s M Chidambaram Stadium on 22 September. Both the Indian batters and bowlers dominated from the beginning.

But it can’t be overlooked is how Bangladesh showcased a fighting spirit ahead of world’s best team across all formats.

Also, former Bangladeshi skipper Shakib Al Hasan’s black strap wrapped around his neck while batting against India caught the eye of several cricketers, commentators, and audiences.

ESPNCricInfo reported on 23 September that Shakib himself has developed this new technique to maintain the correct head position while batting.

Shakib’s disease:

The Bangladeshi all-rounder is suffering from Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSC) – a condition in which fluid builds up under the retina, which can distort vision. This led to his head-positioning problems due to an eye condition he surfaced in 2023.

To tackle the issue, the Bangladeshi player needed to work on positioning his head in a way, ensuring optimal sighting of the ball.

What BCB’s chief physician says:

According to Dr Debashish Chowdhury, BCB’s chief physician, Shakib’s new technique is in the trial-and-error phase.

“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. 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,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Dr Chowdhury as saying.

Dr Chowdhury added that Shakib in the only person to who can say if the new technique of wearing black strap is working or not. “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,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shakib’s mentor Mohammad Salahuddin opined the experiment is good for him. He said, “We all have one dominant eye, so when that is giving him trouble viewing the ball, then it can be problematic.”

“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,” he added.

Shakib’s comeback:

Despite having the issue – which made him miss a few matches during the 2023 BPL, followed by Bangladesh’s white-ball matches against Sri Lanka, Shakib appeared in T20Is against Zimbabwe and USA and the 2024 T20 World Cup. He also played a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan’s Rawalpindi in September 2024.

Apart from this, Shakib played in a county championship match for Surrey against Somerset too.

However, Shakib could not impress a lot against India in the first Test at Chapauk. He scored 32 in first innings and 13 in second, without picking up a wicket.

What skipper Shanto said?

Speaking about Shakib, Bangladesh’s skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto said, as the report quoted, “I look at how much hard work a player is putting into his game. Whether he is struggling enough to make a comeback. What is their intention towards their team. How much he is willing to give to the team.”

“Some people might think that I am saying it because the question is about Shakib bhai. I try to look at everyone in the same way, whether it is Nahid Rana to Mushfiq[ur] bhai. More than whether he is scoring runs or not, I look at how is his preparation. What is his thinking about the team. I am happy with the way that every member of this Test squad has prepared and has been willing to give to the team,” he added.