Shakib Al Hasan - The shining star in a dull year for Bangladesh

Very few can stamp an authority in this topsy-turvy world of cricket despite representing one of the weakest teams in world cricket. One needs to be super-confident and possess special qualities. One needs to be very, very special to be the number one allrounder in the world despite representing a team like Bangladesh. The boy from Magura, Shakib Al Hasan did this in the year of 2011, and which is an eye-pooping achievement.

At the beginning, the year 2011 had been bitter for Shakib. As a captain he wasn’t able to fulfill the aspirations of 16 billion Bangladeshi, and then he was in a rut with the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s officials which ultimately led him to lose his captaincy.  Shakib’s world was basseted with chaos and controversy.

But, he is Shakib Al Hasan and he has the qualities of a champion who brushes away all the frustrations in no time and bounce back in style. Shakib Al Hasan came back with stellar performance to make this year all his own.

This year, Shakib has scored 564 runs at an average of 33.18 and in five Test matches he scored 451 runs at an average of 50.11. With the ball he was teasing, sharp and has been a genuine wick taker. In the third ODI against the West Indies, he was instrumental in nailing them for a poultry total. In the Test matches he kept his sharpness intact as both against West Indies and Pakistan he was clinical with the ball.

In five Test matches Shakib grabbed 21 wickets at an average of 28.61 with a strike rate of 61.8 and the economy rate being 2.77 while in the ODIs he grabbed 25 wickets from 25 ODIs at an average of 28.08 with the strike rate being 38.8 at an economy rate of 4.33.

Shakib also has been a part of a record this year. His staggering 144 against Pakistan and the 6-wicket haul against the same opposition is the ninth incidence in the history of Test cricket. As an allrounder, Shakib’s such feat is the seventh in the history of Test cricket and in the subcontinent it has been the second incident. Imran Khan was the first person from the subcontinent to make this unique feat against India at Faisalabad in 1982-83.

In a team where the others are struggling find their best nick, Shakib was way ahead of his team-mates. He is never mentally cluttered like his team’s batsmen nor finds it tough with the ball against the best batsmen. He continued to deliver the best for Bangladesh last year and remained the only shining star for Bangladesh in a dull year.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar