Shakib’s experience ‘will benefit’ wounded Tigers

Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan had a decent tune-up before joining the Bangladesh Test squad in Chattogram, where the bruised Tigers will play their second and final Test against Sri Lanka on March 30.

The ace all-rounder performed quite admirably with the ball in his first two outings in the ongoing Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, but his batting left a lot to be desired, having scored 19 and 34 runs, respectively.

Shakib, however, returned to his elements just when it was most needed ahead of the series finale -- the seasoned campaigner striking 53 off 65 balls and scalping two wickets for only 14 runs in nine overs in a decisive show against Gazi Group Cricketers on Wednesday -- as the hosts will be hoping for much-improved batting after their dismal performance in the preceding Sylhet Test.

Amid a sporting wicket at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side suffered a heavy 328-run defeat, with the top-order batters becoming the main culprits behind the below-par showing.

Shakib, who last played a Test against Ireland in April last year and did not take part in any longer-version domestic cricket afterwards, had initially opted to skip the Sri Lanka series. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not hesitate to him a break as he had been suffering with an eye problem -- evident during the recently concluded Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

However, once the 37-year-old cricketer expressed his desire to get back in red-ball format after a gap, the selectors promptly included him in the second Test squad.

Former national captain Mohammad Ashraful reckons that Shakib's inclusion will bolster the Tigers' squad, irrespective of the length of time he was absent from the red-ball cricket, especially when Bangladesh is missing the service of fellow veteran Mushfiqur Rahim.

"He [Shakib Al Hasan] is not completely out of touch. He batted well in BPL and DPL [Dhaka Premier League]. He scored fifty today. He has vast experience, and so the team will benefit from his inclusion," Ashraful told The Daily Star yesterday.

In his last Test, Shakib scored 87 runs and took two wickets against Ireland, and before that he played a two-match series against India, where he scored 116 runs and claimed six wickets.

Ashraful, however, emphasized more importance on Shakib's experience rather than the numbers, reminding that Shakib's inclusion gives Bangladesh the cushion to play an extra batter at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

"Bangladesh batsmen failed to handle the initial movement of the Kookaburra ball. It becomes easy when the ball gets older, but unfortunately Bangladesh failed to reach that position. I think, in this regard, Shakib's experience can be handy for the entire batting unit," explained Ashraful.