Tamim believes Shakib will return to form in T20 World Cup
Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been under the pump after misfiring in the first two matches in the T20 World Cup for Bangladesh but his long-time teammate Tamim Iqbal believes he will find a way to return to form.
Shakib has only 69 runs in seven matches this year at a strike-rate of below 100 and has gone wicketless in four of his last five matches. On top of that, he did not complete his quota of four overs in any of Bangladesh’s World Cup matches.
Bangladesh face the Netherlands on Thursday in Kingstown where no international match has taken place for more than a decade. Tamim said the wicket might be on the slower side and that could bring Shakib’s left arm spin into play.
Shakib’s batting, though, is a big cause for concern but Tamim said he has enough experience to figure out a way to come out of the lean patch.
“He has [gone through] this kind of lean patch before. He has a lot of experience and I am sure he will come good. He is a very big player for Bangladesh,” Tamim told ESPNCricinfo.
“He has done a lot of good things. He has achieved a lot individually. For the last one year, he has not been scoring heavily but I have the belief that he will figure out a way to contribute with both the bat and the ball,” he added.
