"He Has Played This Game For So Long...": Bangladesh Captain On Shakib Al-Hasan's Political Setback

Bangladesh's cricket captain on Tuesday was confident that ace allrounder Shakib Al Hasan will compete at his best in a Test against Pakistan this week, after protests over the former lawmaker's inclusion. Shakib, 37, was a member of the now dissolved Bangladesh parliament led by ex-premier Sheikh Hasina, who was forced to flee the country at the start of the month following mass protests.The interim government last week gave permission for Shakib, who has not commented on the political crisis, to feature in the two Tests against Pakistan, the first of which starts Wednesday.

"He has played this game for so, long so he knows his role and how to prepare himself. I am not thinking about his political career," Bangladesh skipper and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said at a press conference.

Asked if the political setback would affect Shakib's performance, Shanto said: "I don't think so because he is a professional cricketer, we all treat him as a cricketer, to be honest."

"I hope he will do something special in this series," he added.

Shakib is Bangladesh's key allrounder with 4,505 runs in 67 Tests and as a spinner got 237 wickets -- the most of any Bangladesh bowler in Test cricket.

Bangladeshis in Dhaka protested over Shakib's continued inclusion in the team, with former Bangladesh Cricket Board member Rafiqul Islam criticising him for staying silent as protesters died in clashes with security forces.

Shakib joined the squad in Pakistan last week, after featuring in the Global T20 League in Canada, where Bangladeshis also chanted slogans against him.

The unrest in Dhaka stopped the team from assembling for practice sessions.

The tourists got some reprieve after the Pakistan Cricket Board invited them to arrive four days