The kind of celebrity Shakib enjoys in Bangladesh can perhaps only be matched by top cricketers in neighbouring India. PHOTO: AFP
While a few might argue whether the 27-year-old is indeed currently the world’s best all-rounder, there is not an iota of doubt that Shakib is the best cricketer Bangladesh has ever produced.
The attacking middle-order batsman became the first from his country to cross 4,000 runs in ODIs on Wednesday and is fourth on the list of Test runs, boasting an average better than the three ahead of him.
Made captain at the age of 22, he also sits top of the list in Test wickets with his left-arm spin and third in ODIs, again with a better average than the two men ahead of him.
In November, he joined Imran Khan and Ian Botham as the only men to take 10 wickets and score a century in the same Test match when he achieved the feat against Zimbabwe at home.
Runs and wickets also flowed in the five-match ODI series following the Tests and the result was his elevation to the top of the all-rounders’ rankings in all three formats in January.
Attitude problem?
Critics blame Shakib for a lack of control over his temper and say his achievements and stardom have gone to his head. The start of 2014 saw him banned by the Bangladesh Cricket Board for three matches for making an indecent gesture during the live telecast of a match.
Later in the year, he was handed a six-month ban for a ‘severe attitude problem’ and told he would not be allowed to play in overseas competitions until the end of 2015. The ban was lifted after two months, however, allowing his return for the home series against Zimbabwe.
Shakib is well aware that the World Cup is the perfect stage to resurrect his image and make a mark. “The World Cup is perfect,” he said. “To perform on the big stage is a great opportunity.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2015.
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