Mystery Behind Shakib Al Hasan's Black Strap vs India Finally Solved. Bangladesh Coach Says...

During the Chennai Test, former Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan was spotted biting down on a black strap wrapped around his neck while batting. This was part of his effort to maintain the correct head position while at the crease. According to ESPNcricinfo, his mentor, Mohammad Salahuddin, and the BCB's chief physician, Dr. Debashish Chowdhury, explained that Shakib devised this mechanism himself to prevent his head from falling over when playing the ball. Previously, he had used a neck brace for the same purpose. Shakib's head-positioning issues stem from an eye condition diagnosed last year. Ophthalmologists in Chennai, London, Dhaka, and Singapore concluded that he has Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSC), a condition causing fluid buildup under the retina, which can distort vision. To ensure optimal sighting of the ball while maintaining proper technique, Shakib has dedicated many hours to perfecting his head position.

"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," Dr Chowdhury said, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, Shakib's eye specialist in Chennai confirmed his eye is improving.

"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," he added.

Bangladesh batting coach David Hemp said, "It is something that Shakib has been using during practice at various times over the last few months," as per quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"He is very comfortable using the strap and feels that it assists his head position," he added.

In May, during an interview shoot, Shakib was