‘Shakib knows where the hurdles are’

With the upcoming Test series against West Indies starting from June 16, Shakib Al Hasan will begin a new journey as the captain of the Bangladesh Test side. The third stint as Test captain, it will be interesting to see how Bangladesh perform this time under Shakib's leadership. Prominent coach Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, who mentored Shakib right from his childhood days, expressed his expectation regarding Shakib's impact in his new role, during a conversation with The Daily Star. Following are the excerpts of the interview.

I don't want to demean others but Shakib's decision-making ability will be his biggest strength. In our culture we tend to think 10 times before making a decision as we have to be accountable to at least 10 people. But he won't think twice and will take risks when needed.

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Fearless mentality

The first is the performance and that will probably depend on the culture of the team. There is a presence of softness in our culture and I think this team also lack vision. I also feel that even if we set a goal, there are some shortcomings as a team. Our team have got the ability to perform better but there is a lack of belief among our players and the team. Shakib can probably change these things. Since he is part of the team, he knows where the hurdles are. If he can counter this, our team can go a long way. This is nothing about technique and you can change this overnight. If Shakib can do that it will be a big achievement for him. I think this will set the tone for performance and to set a goal. As a result, the preparation will be accurate and intense.

Man on a mission

The way he assesses his game and the level of cricket he plays clearly sets him apart from some of the others. Shakib can point out those things and will work on how to trigger on the basis of that and I think keeping those in mind he has taken the captaincy. It's not that he is only willing to become the leader of the team for the sake of it. He will try to lead the side with a mission. He will try to plan on how to maximise the inner strength of the team and get the output. I am sure he had a chat with the BCB president so that he can get the support, whether it's logistical or anything else. I am sure he will get support. He will try to do something as a captain and after the talk, he thinks that this team has the potential to do better.

What sets Shakib apart

I don't want to demean others but Shakib's decision-making ability will be his biggest strength. In our culture we tend to think 10 times before making a decision as we have to be accountable to at least 10 people. But he won't think twice and will take risks when needed. His decision-making ability and reading of the game are really good. He follows everything, every detail and he will do something unimaginable.

Expectations from the team

What I hope is that he will play freely and will remain in the game which however didn't happen recently. The reason was there were a lot of talks around the team and there was no one to absorb that pressure. Shakib probably can neutralise that aspect to keep the focus on the game. Those who are not in form, be it seniors or juniors, tend to suffer from insecurity. These things should go away this time and everyone will be able to focus only on the game which will create the opportunity to play better. I think we are going to see a more organised side this time. I can't predict results but the process is expected to be organised.