Shakib Al Hasan: Bangladesh’s impetus?

Shakib Al Hasan is not only team's most dependable all-rounder, but impetus that keeps the team going.

When one looks at a cricket team line-up, one starts to judge the players’ respective role in the team. Bangladesh‘s line-up for the just concluded series against England at a glance looks quite settled and full of elements. The top-order batsmen are accomplished and look in good form, the middle-order has potential all-rounders and the bowlers have also proven their mettle in the series, especially rookie Mehedi Hasan who rightly got the Man of the Match as well as the Man of the Series award. But there is one player, who often steps out of his shoes and plays a role different to what he has been brought into the team. The man is Shakib Al Hasan. FULL Cricket Scorecard: Bangladesh vs England, 2nd Test at Mirpur

Shakib in Tests bats at No. 5, which is the slot of a middle-order batsman. Shakib’s scores in the series in the four innings that he played are 31, 24, 10 and 41. For a cricketer, who is ranked second in the world in the ICC Test rankings for all-round performances, the scores are not at all impressive. A close look at his innings will add more negatives rather than praises after his name. In the first innings, Shakib went for a poor shot which left him stumped out. An experienced player such as him was never expected to take risks in the morning when the team hardly has any technical batsmen left to bat. However, a big share of the credit behind Bangladesh’s emphatic victory in the second Test goes to the player, despite the under-performance with the bat.

The team has a lot of potent hitters in it, starting from Tamim Iqbal. Tamim has brilliant numbers against England, and this series was no exception. To back Tamim up, there were Mahmudullah, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim and Sabbir Rahman down the order. The Bangladesh batting, as a whole, did not look to be much of a weaker side as compared to the visitors. Where they lacked, was the experience in bowling.

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Selectors and Mushfiqur decided to go into the all crucial series with a more or less inexperienced side. It was a very risky bet, but it worked out. Prominently, Bangladesh’s biggest weapon against a strong England side had to be their pitches that assist spin. Having played in the venues for long, the hosts were well accustomed to the conditions and well aware of how the ball may act on which part of the day. They had to utilise this to the fullest and only had Taijul Islam as their main spinner who had experiences of facing big teams.

Mehedi Hasan was not a name that one could trust, given the fact that he was not tried and tested yet. There was just another name in the spin department upon whom the skipper, the nation and the fans could put their faith on — it was of Shakib’s.

While Shakib’s bat did not score as much as expected, he remained clinical with the ball. The cricketer picked up a total of 12 wickets from the two Tests he played. His scalps were not only significant for the number, but the situation they came in and the names that he dismissed. England, throughout the series, had shown a trend of having a big lower-middle-order partnership building to support the team with ample runs. The characteristic was praiseworthy for the visitors but lethal for the hosts. Mehedi remained more successful towards the initial phase of the innings but the one who would end the English innings was Shakib, being effective with the old ball.

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He trapped batsmen, kept hitting in the right areas and remained successful, just how he was expected to perform. He maintained the fact that his spells must not be very expensive, the highest economy was 3.72 which came in the final innings of the second Test. It has to be remembered that, for a batting all-rounder, it is never easy to bowl 20-30 overs in every innings and again come out with the bat and score a century.

There is no doubt about the fact that there is always room for improvement for everyone, even the top-ranked players. Shakib’s performance with the bat was definitely disappointing since the onus of holding the middle-order together was put upon his experienced shoulders. But it is inspirational how he moulds himself into the role he is wanted to play the most. Shakib guided the rookie spinner and backed his performance up with his own brilliance.

Many Bangladesh youngsters would agree to it; the 29-year-old is an inspiration to many. Playing in limited facilities, Shakib reached heights that his contemporaries would hardly think of. But it is his determination, his ability to change and adjust according to situations that make him a quintessential member of the national squad across formats. Though he is played at a position where he is expected to be more effective with the bat than the ball, Shakib performed the way it was needed for Bangladesh to put up a good competition and eventually become a winner. Shakib is not only team’s most dependable all-rounder, but impetus that keeps the team going.

(Paulami Chakraborty, a singer, dancer, artist, and photographer, loves the madness of cricket and writes about the game. She can be followed on Twitter at @Polotwitts)

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