During the first Test match, India vs Bangladesh, an unusual thing happened as all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was seen chewing on a string that was connected to his helmet while batting. This particular gesture received a lot of attention from the fans and critics, and people started wondering about the intention behind this.
When Bangladesh lost their top order for 36 for 4 Shakib came in to bat with the pressure of the team on his shoulders. Although his approach during the batting was quite hostile, what got the attention of the audience was when he chewed on the string. The string seemed to be hanging around his neck and was fastened around the side of the helmet, and this made many people to ask whether it was a mere string or it had some purpose.
During the commentary, a former Indian wicketkeeper and commentator Dinesh Karthik shed light on this rather peculiar tradition. He said that Tamim Iqbal, a former Shakib’s teammate, said that the string is a kind of check on Shakib. It assists him in the right positioning of his head during batting, to avoid leaning of the head towards the leg side while in his stance and during his shots. The tension in the string also helps Shakib to be reminded to keep his head steady, thus improving his balance and control at the crease.
Such rituals are not very rare in cricket – most cricketers have their personal superstitions – but Shakib’s one is rather visually striking. This is a lesson that athletes have certain peculiarities which they think help them when they are under pressure.
