Another day to forget for Shakib and Tigers

Shakib Al Hasan and the Bangladesh team had another forgettable day at the office yesterday, as the all-rounder once again showed signs of losing his edge with the bat and the ball, and the Tigers meekly surrendered against a superior Indian side in their Super Eights match of the ICC T20 World Cup in Antigua.

Bangladesh were the inferior side on display throughout the match and unsurprisingly suffered a 50-run drubbing.

There were some flashes of positives for Bangladesh in the match, like Tanzim Sakib's fiery spell and a late 10-ball 24 assault from Rishad Hossain, but these efforts were overshadowed by the long list of subpar performances, headed by another rocky showing from Shakib.

For the last four weeks or so, Bangladesh's cricket fans have been watching and slowly coming to terms with the fact that perhaps Shakib Al Hasan, like all who played the game before him, is gradually conceding defeat to the perpetual pendulum of time.

One of the tell-tale signs that a player's career is nearing its end is that the skills that once were second nature to them, which they could execute without even thinking, become difficult.

In Shakib's case, it was his bowling that Bangladesh could depend on most days without a second thought. But in this edition of the ICC T20 World Cup, he has been used more like a part-time option and at times had to be shielded from the batters.

Yesterday, Shakib became the first and only bowler to claim 50 wickets in T20 World Cups when he took the wicket of Rohit Sharma. But before getting that wicket, the left-arm spinner was taken for 25 runs off his first nine deliveries, which allowed India to race to 53-1 in the Powerplay.

Shakib ended with 1-37 in three overs, not finishing his quota for the fifth time in this tournament. In Bangladesh's six matches, the left-arm spinner has bowled his full quota only against the Netherlands and was not brought into the attack in the rain-curtailed match against Australia.

It's not like Shakib has only been struggling on the wicket's column. Till now, he has bowled only 13.2 overs in the tournament and conceded at a rate of more than eight runs an over -- the most expensive of all Bangladeshi bowlers.

Shakib couldn't really make up for his shortcoming with the ball with bat in hand either, making just 11 off seven balls before getting caught at extra-cover.

The dip in Shakib's bowling, something the all-rounder has always said came to him naturally and he admitted to not have paid too much focus on it, projects a dire signal.

Considering Shakib's age, 37, his decline shouldn't be that much of a surprise. But as the all-rounder has expressed his desire to feature for Bangladesh in the next T20 World Cup as well, this dip is a worrying sign.

His batting has been subpar since the issue with his eyes has surfaced. If the all-rounder wishes to continue being an asset for Bangladesh cricket, not a liability, perhaps it is time for him to change his ways and seriously work on his bowling.

As for the Tigers, they still have one match left in the Super Eights against Afghanistan on Tuesday, where they will have a chance to end their campaign on a high.