‘Big stage brings the best out of Shakib’
Bangladesh ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is going into the upcoming T20 World Cup as Tigers' key player in what could be his final bow in T20's showpiece event.
Shakib, who holds the record of the longest career in T20Is, evolved with the times and found new avenues to keep making his mark in the T20 format.
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In recent years, he has added a new ability to eclipse his past skill sets by enriching his range-hitting. Even at 37, the former T20I captain can make the Tigers' day with the bat while his bowling appears to be as good as ever.
Shakib's batting did not shine in his recent two outings against Zimbabwe. He had played 50-over matches at the Dhaka Premier League to regain some rhythm but struggled to connect the ball with the sweet spot of his bat against Zimbabwe and could not assert his dominance.
His preparation heading to a big event, however, may not have been ideal, felt his mentor Nazmul Abedeen Fahim.
"The buildup is certainly not ideal. If he had started playing matches a little earlier, it would have served his match fitness better. The smarter you are, the quicker you can return. But if he had returned to T20 cricket a little earlier and played the Zimbabwe series from the beginning, it would have been better," Fahim said.
But even while not at his best, his mindset can make up for the lack of game time, said Fahim.
"He didn't look at his best [batting wise in Zimbabwe series]. Had he played the first few games, he would have regained his game. His preparation could have been better but since he is Shakib Al Hasan, with the little time he has and the matches remaining, he would be pretty close to his best," Fahim felt.
Players like England's Moeen Ali and India's Ravindra Jadeja are key all-rounders for their respective sides, however, none of them are as important to their team's prospects in the World Cup as Shakib is for Bangladesh.
Shakib's struggles with the bat may not have gone away following his return to the T20I setup after 10 months but he can turn the tide very quickly in his favour, believes Fahim.
"I think he is at his best in terms of bowling and since bowlers have a certain degree of control, we can expect him to do well with the ball.
"If he can play positively [in batting] in the remaining games, he might get something in return. He belongs at that level, which also brings out the best from players like him," Fahim said about Shakib turning up to assert his position as Tigers' key player.
Sources in the team have hinted that Shakib may bat at No.3 in this World Cup. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto did not rule out that possibility either.
In the last BPL, Shakib had struggled with an eye problem and didn't score many runs in the beginning, but came into his own later on, often batting at number three, where he took advantage of the Powerplay.
"He played at three in the BPL and did well. The teams we are targeting to win against, if he does well against those sides, we will win. His aggressive nature suits T20 cricket," Fahim opined.
Shakib and India's Rohit Sharma are the only players set to take part in all nine editions of the T20 World Cup.
Whether or not this will be Shakib's final T20 World Cup, Fahim felt it did not matter to the player himself.
"I don't think he thinks like us on whether or not this would be his last World Cup. If he did, his preparation maybe would have been different. He is still casual like he always is, which I feel is his natural way."
Shakib in T20 World Cups
Highlights
*Shakib does not have any fifties in his last 10 T20Is. His highest score was an unbeaten 38 off 24 deliveries that helped the Tigers post their second 200-plus total during this period in a 77-run win over Ireland in March 2023 in Chattogram.
*Shakib has batted in the middle order (from wickets 4-7) in nine of his last 10 T20I innings. However, the one time he batted at number three was in that game against Ireland in which he scored his highest during this period.
*He has five unbeaten scores in his last 10 matches in the shortest format, seeing through Bangladesh complete a chase successfully on each occasion.
*Shakib's batting average in his last 10 T20Is is 32.20, much higher than his career average of 23.56. His strike rate of almost 130 during this period is also more than his career strike rate of 122.27.
*Shakib is set to play his ninth T20 World Cup, the most by any player alongside India skipper Rohit Sharma who has also featured in all the editions of the tournament.
*The star all-rounder already leads the all-time wicket-taker's charts in T20 World Cups, with 47 scalps, and is only three away from reaching 50.
*Shakib tallied his personal best of 186 runs (in seven matches) with the bat in the 2014 edition in which he also bagged eight wickets.
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