Shakib unaffected by whatever is happening off the field, says Shanto

The political unrest in Bangladesh had put their tour of Pakistan in jeopardy. Shakib Al Hasan, who was the Member of Parliament from the now-out-of-power ruling party, faces uncertainty regarding his political future. 

However, ahead of the first Test against Pakistan, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto dismissed murmurs of any distraction for Shakib.

"I don't think it will affect him because he's a professional cricketer, and we all treat him as such," Shanto said ahead of the Rawalpindi Test. 

"He has played this game for so long that he knows his role and how to prepare himself. We're not thinking about his political career, and I hope he'll do something special in this series."

While Pakistan are going in with an all-pace attack, and Shanto says that his pacers are also looking forward to having a crack in such conditions. The skipper says that they have all aspects covered.

"In the last couple of years, we have had a very good fast-bowling unit. We also have some quality spinners, so we've covered all aspects," Shanto said.

"When we arrive tomorrow and see the pitch, we will decide our team. But the seamers are really excited to perform well in these conditions. The toss is very important. The players are ready for both batting and bowling. Personally, I'm not thinking about the toss because, as players, we have to be ready for every single situation."

Pakistan have never lost a Test against Bangladesh in their 14 previous meetings. The two last met in Bangladesh in 2021 when Pakistan went on to win the series 2-0.

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