Shakib said his eye issue not a problem now: Hemp

Bangladesh batting coach David Hemp said that premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan had told him during the Pakistan series this month that the eye issue that has been of concern to the cricketer as of late is no longer 'a problem at the moment'. 

"When it initially happened, he found it a bit challenging. More recently, however, he's managed it and is coping with that [eyesight issues]. He said that the issue with the eye isn't a problem at the moment," Hemp told The Daily Star today when asked about batter Shakib's condition. 

Shakib was outstanding with the ball during the recent County Championship Division One match for Surrey against Somerset but his struggles with the bat continued in the contest, leaving the cricket fraternity concerned ahead of the Tigers' two-match Test series against India.

Shakib, who went directly to England from Pakistan to prepare well for the India series, finished with a match figure of 9-193 that included 5-96 in the second innings, and he was the best performer for Surrey during the match.

However, the southpaw failed to carry the same form into his batting as in the first innings, he could manage only 12 runs off 24 balls before being caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Jack Leach.

Shakib's batting misery continued in the second innings as well as he made a five-ball duck and Surrey eventually was dismissed for 109 runs to lose the contest by 111 runs on the final day of the contest.

Since the last ICC World Cup 2023 in India, Shakib's struggle with the bat became an issue as the 37-year-old was diagnosed with a retinal condition in his left eye after he reported visual discomfort.

Since then, apart from a few innings, Shakib has largely struggled with the bat, often resorting to peculiar techniques in training to get back to his best. 

"At this moment, I think he's better. In terms of how he is striking the ball and positions he is getting into, he is in a better position than he was in the [T20] World Cup. He's been working really hard.

"I haven't seen him bat in the UK, so I can't comment on that. From the work he has done in Pakistan, I can say he is getting into good positions and striking it nicely," he added.