Maverick cricketer Shakib al Hasan is undoubtedly Bangladesh’s most dependable all-round player in recent times. There have been a number of occasions when the country looked towards him to provide inspiration and more often than not, Shakib was able to emerge as the saviour, either by initiating regular breakthroughs with the leather or by guiding the middle- and lower-order.
The ongoing bilateral home series against Pakistan, however, has been an indifferent one for the Magula lad. In the three-match ODI series, Shakib was only required to bat twice due to the team’s brilliant performances. On those two occasions, he scored 31 and seven not out while with the ball, he scalped five wickets at the expense of 116 runs. Shakib was overshadowed by opener Tamim Iqbal, who took the ODI series by storm, registering one heroic display after the other.
In the solitary Twenty20 international, Shakib was back to his marauding best, an unbeaten 57 steering the Tigers to a convincing win. With the ball, however, Shakib remained wicket-less for only the second time in the format. The previous instance of Shakib remaining wicket-less in a T20I was against Australia in the 2014 ICC World T20.
Then, the southpaw headed into the first Test in Khulna with some sweet memories. In the previous five-dayer in the south-western city, Shakib became only the third cricketer in the history to score a hundred and bag 10 wickets in the same Test. Unable to play Shakib properly, Zimbabwe suffered a crashing defeat.
Recent times have not been kind to Shakib though. The left-arm spinner is probably experiencing his worst form with the ball. In the drawn first Test in Khulna, Shakib at one stage leaked 122 runs without success in 31 overs. Although he did end up getting a wicket in Pakistan’s first innings, he conceded 146 runs for his solitary strike.
While with the willow, Shakib had the opportunity to end the Test on a high. Unbeaten on 76 and on course to reach his fourth Test hundred, stand-in captain Tamim Iqbal signalled him to carry on. Shakib, however, decided to the end the game in a mutual draw following consultations with the opposition.
Quite what forced the reluctant Shakib to not go for his hundred is still a mystery although some believe he was in a hurry to rush to Dhaka to attend one of his close friend’s birthday party, which was organised at Shakib’s restaurant located in Banani.
Moving on to the deciding Test in Dhaka, he was again bite-less with the leather, conceding 179 runs in total for his single wicket.
Shakib though more than made it up with the bat. With wickets falling at regular intervals, he was running out of partners but he tried his best to guide the ship alone, hammering an unbeaten 91-ball 89. His attacking knock featured 14 boundaries and two sixes.
The Tigers had one wicket remaining in their first innings but as right-arm paceman Shahadat Hossain is nursing an injury to his right knee, Shakib was stranded 11 runs short of his fourth hundred.
