• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Had Huge Discomfort Facing The Ball Shakib Reveals Battle With Blurred Vision During World Cup

'Had Huge Discomfort Facing The Ball'-  Shakib Reveals Battle with Blurred Vision During World Cup

image-lql742exShakib Al Hasan had a woeful World Cup 2023 campaign 

Bangladesh stalwart, Shakib Al Hasan recently shared insights into the challenges he faced during the ICC World Cup 2023, which significantly impacted his performance. The star all-rounder, renowned for his exceptional showing in the ICC World Cup 2019, faced difficulties in the 2023 edition, managing only 186 runs in seven matches at an average of 26.57 before being ruled out of the tournament due to an injury.

Shakib reveals playing with impaired vision in World Cup 2023

While speaking to Cricbuzz, Shakib revealed that he played through the World Cup 2023 with considerable discomfort stemming from blurred vision caused by stress-related issues. 

This revelation came after Bangladesh's disappointing exit from the tournament, where they managed only two victories in nine matches. The senior player, who missed two games due to injury, was expected to be a leading figure in the team's campaign.

"It is not in one or two games in the World Cup, rather I was having it (the eye problem) throughout the World Cup,” said Shakib.

Interestingly, Shakib returned to Bangladesh midway through the tournament for an intensive batting session with his childhood mentor, Nazmul Abedin. 

However, this effort did not significantly alleviate his struggles, especially against short deliveries. Observers noted that Shakib occasionally adopted a modified batting stance, deviating from his usual technique.

Medical consultations revealed that Shakib's left eye was affected by stress, leading to blurred vision. This condition persisted throughout the World Cup, influencing his ability to face the ball effectively. 

Post-tournament checks in the United States showed an improvement, correlating the issue with the high-stress environment of the World Cup.

"It could have happened," the star all-rounder said when asked if he was playing with one eye and batted possibly by assuming that that ball was coming a certain way. "I had huge discomfort facing the ball," he added. 

While acknowledging the challenges of captaincy, Shakib did not attribute his stress solely to this role. He suggested that having more time to prepare as captain might have allowed for better team readiness, aligning with his strategic vision. Under his leadership, Bangladesh's One Day International (ODI) performances throughout 2023 were below expectations.

“If I had got that (captaincy) earlier it would have been easy because if I had time I could make everything ready and go there (for the World Cup). The problem I faced (as a captain) was that the team was not ready the way I was thinking or the philosophy through which I wanted to play. If you see not only during the World Cup but through 2023 our ODI performances were not good,” added the Bangladesh skipper.

Bangladesh's early elimination from the World Cup, after six consecutive defeats, highlighted the team's struggles in the tournament. Their only victories came against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.