New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham who is set to feature for Rangpur Riders in BPL believes his teammate Shakib al Hasan has the ability to bowl even if he can't see with one eye.
Shakib, who is currently recovering from an eye problem, has been struggling to bat in the tournament. Despite such an ominous condition, the 36-year-old took 13 wickets and scored 113 runs in the ongoing BPL.
Neesham expressed confidence in Shakib's mastery, stating that even if Shakib had to play with one eye, he would still perform well.
"Shakib is obviously a fantastic cricketer. Yeah. I don't know what's going on with his eyes, to be honest. That's the first I've heard of it. So, yeah, whatever he's doing, he just needs to keep doing it because it's making his performance easier. Maybe even if he can't see, he'll still be able to bowl, so he'll still be good," said Neesham.
Neesham lauded Shakib’s all-round brilliance and highlighted that having him on the team provides a significant advantage.
"He's been outstanding for us. It's like having two players, really. He's one of the best batters going around and one of the best bowlers. So it's certainly a huge advantage having him on your team, and he's been performing extremely well in the last few games. Hopefully, he can maintain that form as we head towards the finals," Neesham added.
Few days ago, the BCB had made it official through a statement that Shakib was having some issues with his eyesight, for which he had seen doctors at home and abroad. When reminded, Shakib said that there was no problem with his sight and that he wasn't able to find reason for not scoring runs in the BPL. However when journalists asked Shakib about the eye issue he adamantly denied it. "I don't know, I don't think it's ever likely to be fixed," Shakib said. "And to what you are repeatedly asking, I would say there is no problem with my eyes. What you see with glasses, I see better without glasses. I'm trying to find out what the problem is." "'It's hard to say. If I score runs, the comfort zone will increase. As long as I don't score runs, that rhythm will not come, there will be no room for relaxation. It's very normal," Shakib said regarding his batting form, before getting back to the issue of his eyesight.