Shakib to fly to Singapore for eye problems, BPL participation in doubt

Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been suffering from eye problems for some time now. He will now fly to Singapore in middle of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) for further treatment.

His participation in the remainder of the BPL, where he is playing for Rangpur Riders, will depend on how well the treatment goes and how the southpaw feels after coming back. But it is confirmed that he will miss at least the next three matches for Rangpur.

Jalal Yunus, the Cricket Operations chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), confirmed the news to The Business Standard (TBS).

Shakib will fly at 1 pm on 21 January.

"Shakib is flying to Singapore tomorrow. His participation in the BPL totally depends on what the doctor says and how he feels (after the treatment). We can't say he will miss the whole tournament," Jalal Yunus said.

The southpaw reportedly struggled with poor eyesight throughout the World Cup last year and recently consulted a doctor in the UK for the same. He also visited a doctor in Chennai during the World Cup and revealed in a recent interview that he had trouble seeing the cricket ball. 

He played in the much-anticipated match against Tamim Iqbal's Fortune Barishal on Saturday. But he got out early, scoring just two off three deliveries. 

Although Shakib returned brilliant figures of 4-0-16-2, he could not prevent his team from the defeat. On top of that, he was jeered by the crowd when he came into the attack and fielded close to the boundary rope.

In the post-match press conference, Rangpur captain Nurul Hasan admitted that Shakib is still "struggling" with his eyesight. 

"Shakib bhai is a very important player for us. I think he has been struggling with his eyes for the past few months. He has been consulting doctors, but I think he is struggling," said Nurul Hasan.