"No joke that a guy has been the No. 1 all-rounder for the last 10-12 years" - Mahmudullah backs under-fire Shakib Al Hasan

There is no doubt that Shakib Al Hasan will go down as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history. But the Bangladeshi player's current form has not been up to the mark.

While he has done well with the ball, Shakib lost his place in the Kolkata Knight Riders playing XI after scoring 38 runs in three IPL 2021 games. In the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, the southpaw has amassed just 15 runs in two matches at a strike rate of less than 50.

Despite Shakib Al Hasan's recent struggles with the willow, he has found support from his fellow all-rounder Mahmudullah. The 35-year-old was quoted as saying by The Daily Star:

"There is not much to say about Shakib. He knows his game. It is no joke that a guy has been the number one [ODI] all-rounder for the last 10-12 years. He knows when to bat and how much batting [practice] will benefit him. He got a good start in the first ODI, but unfortunately, he could not cash in on it. But I am certain that he will play better in tomorrow's game."

Mahmudullah further discussed the final ODI against Sri Lanka. He said the hosts were looking forward to completing a historic clean sweep and adding 10 points more to their ICC Cricket World Cup Super League tally.

Shakib Al Hasan has never scored an ODI century against Sri Lanka

Shakib Al Hasan has scored six fifties against the Sri Lankan cricket team

In his 15-year long ODI career, Shakib Al Hasan has played 22 innings against Sri Lanka, scoring 622 runs at an average of 31.10. While he has an ODI ton against teams like England, New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies, Shakib has never touched the three-figure mark against Sri Lanka.

The all-rounder will be keen to return to form with a fantastic performance in the final ODI to end his century drought against Sri Lanka.