A lot had been said and written regarding Shakib Al Hasan's surprise visit to Dhaka in the middle of the ongoing ODI World Cup in India.

Shakib flew back home for batting sessions with his childhood mentor Nazmul Abedeen Fahim just a day after Bangladesh's defeat to South Africa. He later reunited with the side at Kolkata but could not thwart Bangladesh's demoralising defeat to the Netherlands which extinguished their semi-final hopes.

Shakib came under criticism for leaving the side after the defeat to South Africa while team management also came under fire for allowing the skipper to leave on his own in the middle of such a big tournament. Shakib's tournament with the bat has been well below the high standards he had set for himself.

He averages just 12.2 in five matches with his highest score of 40 at the World Cup coming against New Zealand.

When it was suggested to Shakib at a press conference today that all of Bangladesh were looking for his performances and what his feelings were given that he had worked with his mentor in the middle of the World Cup, Shakib replied: "I want to perform as well."

Asked how he was going to make that possible, Shakib's reply suggested he was not sure. "I am trying to find that out," he said.

Shakib's 2023 World Cup has been a far cry from his tremendous performances in the 2019 World Cup, where he scored 606 runs at an average of over 86. With Bangladesh's qualifications for the 2025 Champions Trophy on the line, the Tigers would be hoping that Shakib's bat smiles again in the remaining World Cup games. The Tigers would play Pakistan tomorrow at Kolkata and Shakib and Co. would need a quick turnaround to take something positive from what has been a dismal tournament for them so far.