Shakib upbeat to win Sri Lanka Test in Chattogram

Former Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan exuded confidence about displaying a good team performance in the second and final Test against Sri Lanka, starting on March 30 at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. 

"I always hope that we win. We have always struggled in Tests, so it will be tough. But I believe that we should be doing well against Sri Lanka and that we should be winning Tests against them," Shakib told reporters during a commercial engagement in Dhaka on Thursday before joining the team in the port city. 

Bangladesh, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, suffered a 328-run hammering at the hands of the Lankans following an abysmal batting performance in the series opener in Sylhet. 

Shakib, who had been suffering from an eye problem and initially opted out of the Sri Lanka series, expressed his desire to get back in the red-ball format and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not hesitate to add him to the squad for the Chattogram Test. 

Shakib will be returning to the longer format of the game after nearly a year break. He last played a Test against Ireland in Mirpur in April last year and has not played any longer-version domestic cricket afterward.

But his return to the squad will definitely give the team some relief as his inclusion not only add some experience to the top order batting but also give Shanto an advantage of playing an extra batter.

"I don't have any personal goals [for the second Test against Sri Lanka]. I don't think I ever bothered about personal goals and achievements for as long as I have been playing cricket. I always thought about how I could contribute to my team. It is a great honour to perform and represent your country. So, obviously, I am happy and proud to be returning to Test cricket," Shakib said about his return to the longer-version cricket.

Shakib has been in decent form lately. He performed well for Sheikh Jamal with the ball in hand in his first two Dhaka Premier League (DPL) matches recently before coming up with a match-winning performance against Gazi Group in BKSP-3 yesterday. Shakib scored a 65-ball 53 and returned impressive figures of two for 14 in nine overs to help his side to a 39-run win.