Following Bangladesh's underwhelming performance in the recent World Cup, the focus has been on Shakib Al Hasan's batting struggles. The veteran cricketer revealed that he played throughout the ODI World Cup experiencing considerable discomfort due to blurred vision caused by stress-related issues.
Shakib, who had an exceptional performance in the 2019 World Cup with 606 runs and 11 wickets, was anticipated to be a leading figure in the 2023 edition in India. However, the ODI captain, who missed two matches in the 2023 World Cup due to injury, had a relatively unremarkable tournament with the bat, scoring only 186 runs across seven matches at an average of 26.57.
Shakib drew attention when he returned to Bangladesh mid-tournament for an extended batting session with his childhood coach Nazmul Abedin. Unfortunately, this intervention didn't significantly improve his performance, as he continued to struggle against short deliveries. Observers noted changes in his batting stance during the tournament in India, differing from his usual technique.
As quoted by Cricbuzz Shakib, in a big revelation, said that he experienced blurred vision throughout the ODI World Cup in one side of his left eye, a condition attributed to stress, which significantly affected his batting performance.
"It is not in one or two games in the World Cup, rather I was having it (the eye problem) throughout the World Cup," Shakib said.
"It could have happened," he 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.
Medical science regards the eye as an extension of the brain, meaning that stress impacting the brain can also influence the eyes and the vascular system. The release of stress hormones can directly affect vision. Chronic stress is a risk factor for high blood pressure, which can cause the blood vessels to thicken and restrict blood flow to the retina, a condition referred to as hypertensive retinopathy. Symptoms of this condition include double vision, blurred vision, or a decrease in visual clarity.
"The thing is that when I went to the doctor there was water in my cornea or retina and they had given me drops and told me that I have to lower my stress. I am not sure whether that was the reason (for my eye problem). But when I again checked in America (after the World Cup) there was no stress and I told the doctor there is no World Cup so naturally there is no stress," Shakib further said.
Shakib, though, is not attributing his role as captain as a reason for his heightened stress, but he did mention that having the responsibility of the ODI team earlier would have been more beneficial for him.
"Because I have done captaincy (I am not ready to put that as an excuse for stress). But 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," the star all-rounder added.
Bangladesh became the first team to be eliminated from the 2023 Cricket World Cup, following six consecutive losses. They managed to win only two out of their nine matches, with their victories coming against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
Shakib, while confirming his foray into politics, emphasized that he is not yet prepared to retire from cricket. He also stated that he does not foresee any issues with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) due to his political involvement, contrasting with the experience of former captain Mashrafe Mortaza, who faced challenges with the BCB after entering politics.
"I think they (cricket and politics) can be managed. Managing time will not be a problem because I have done it in the past and can do it in future as well, and have full confidence on me to make that happen," said Shakib. "I don't think that will be the case with me (having any misunderstanding with the board) because I am straightforward," Shakib concluded.
