shakib
BCB can't run after Shakib: Khaled Mahmud
Khaled Mahmud Shujon, the former captain of Bangladesh and now a director at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), has said if Shakib Al Hasan is reluctant to play for the national team, the BCB cannot be bothered to persuade him.
After being named in the squads for the Test and ODI teams to tour South Africa this month, Shakib once again disappointed Tigers fans by declaring he isn't mentally or physically fit to play international cricket, before catching a flight to the UAE.
The Bangladesh team will travel for South Africa on March 11, and the first match of the series will take place on March 18.
Nazmul Hasan, the president of BCB, had earlier said Shakib would travel to South Africa. But on Sunday, just before flying for the UAE, Shakib expressed his reluctance to play international cricket for now to a group of journalists at the airport.
Read: Is Shakib Al Hasan Considering Retirement?
“As far as I knew Shakib would tour South Africa. I’m not sure why he said otherwise now,” Mahmud told the media on Wednesday. “Cricket is not only a physical game but it is also a mental game. So if someone is not fit in both ways, it’s tough to play cricket. And if someone is not interested to play, there is no scope to force him to play.”
Shakib has missed the Test series in the last South Africa tour as well along with two consecutive series in New Zealand. He also skipped a series against Sri Lanka to take part in the Indian Premier League citing that it would help him to do well in the T20 World Cup that has taken place in Oman and UAE last year.
Following his about-turn, the BCB president questioned whether Shakiub's mental and physical issues, such as they are, would have popped up if he had managed to obtain the IPL contract he coveted.
Consider it beneath the dignity of the country's cricket board, BCB follows a policy of not trying to persuade anyone who doesn't want to play for the national team, considering it an honour and privilege that should take no persuasion.
Mahmud said that Bangladesh has different plans for every tour. If Shakib finally skips this tour, they would go with the other plans.
Read: Australia beats Pakistan by 7 wickets at Women's World Cup
“Shakib has been doing this for a while now. We know Shakib is a man of his own way. But at the same time, Bangladesh has a huge investment in Shakib and the players like Mushfiqur (Rahim), Mahmudullah (Riyad) and others. So it’s also important that the country need their service and commitment,” Mahmud added.
The former captain also said the BCB is looking for new faces who could serve the national team for a longer period of time.
“It’s true that we won’t have the service of Shakib and other big players forever. So we have to find new faces. We have already started working on that. The new players will come ahead and they will also play well. It’s true and we have to accept this,” Mahmud added.
On eve of SA tour, clouds gather again over Shakib; now 'mental health'
Once again at the doorstep of an important away series for the Bangladesh cricket team, uncertainty reigns over the participation of its most accomplished player, and days are spent in limbo rather than the planning that can prepare the team to execute better once the competitive cricket resumes.
Bangladesh are all set to fly to South Africa on March 11 to play a three-match ODI and a two-match Test series. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has already announced the both ODI and Test squad for this tour, and Shakib is included in both squads. But Shakib has now said he doesn’t know if he is going to play in South Africa.
A similar uncertainty about Shakib’s participation ahead of an away series took place prior to Bangladesh’s last New Zealand tour when BCB included Shakib in the squad, and the all-rounder eventually pulled out of the team after that.
Before flying to the UAE due to a personal commitment, of which there are increasingly more these days, on Sunday Shakib intimated that he is not in a good mental and physical state to take part in the South Africa tour.
Also read: Shakib faces row over Covid protocol breach
He also said if he skips the ODIs, he might get his interest back and subsequently participate in the Tests. It was a shocking
It’s not clear what exactly happened to the all-rounder that has damaged his interest to play cricket. But it’s clear that his recent performances don’t meet the standard he set over the years.
In the home series against Afghanistan, Shakib scored 74 runs in five matches and bagged seven wickets, though he played better in the last edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) representing Fortune Barishal.
Although to be fair, the depleted BPL stage can hardly hold a candle to international cricket these days.
“I didn't enjoy playing ODIs or T2oIs in the Afghanistan series,” Shakib said on Sunday before leaving for the UAE. “I felt like a passenger in the recent series which was not expected. I don’t think I can play a lot of international cricket in this mental state.
Continuing to beat on himself over his subpar performances, Shakib broached the mental health card, that has been used by a number of leading international players recently to take sudden, indefinite breaks from the game.
"I want to meet the expectation when I play. It shouldn't be my way of playing in this mental situation. I don’t want to waste time, I don’t want to waste someone’s spot. It will be betraying my country and team-mates if I play like a passenger,” Shakib added.
During the Afghanistan series, Nazmul Hasan, the president of BCB, hinted that Shakib would tour South Africa. So the president is surprised that Shakib said he is not mentaly ready to take part in this series.
The 34-year-old all-rounder made it clear that he likes to focus on white-ball cricket more than red-ball one.
He said: “I want to stay out of Test cricket till late November this year, and I have said it to the board. As we have to play two World Cups in the next two years, I want to concentrate more on white-ball cricket. But I also want to make it clear that I’m not leaving Test cricket entirely.”
Also reda: Mustafizur goes to Delhi Capital, Shakib remains unsold
The leading all-rounder across all three formats of his era doesn't seem to realise that is not an entirely straightforward position he has taken. Shakib turns 35 later this month. Is he really in a position to propose a two-year sabbatical from a format, with a view to return written into it?
And what has given him the idea that everything in Bangladesh cricket must be staked in these two 'white ball World Cups' in the next two years?
This is the second South Africa tour where Shakib is going to skip the Tests. Earlier in 2017, Shakib missed the Tests in South Africa tour when he was on a six-month break from the format. Along with that, he also missed the last two New Zealand tours for personal reasons.
And he also missed a series against Sri Lanka to take part in the Indian Premier League’s last edition saying that would help him to do well in the T20 World Cup that took place in 2021 in Oman and UAE. However, Shakib judged it wrong as he failed to do well both in IPL and the T20 World Cup.
Shakib completes 400 wickets in T20s
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan completed a remarkable feat of taking 400 wickets in Twenty20 cricket on Monday while playing for Fortune Barishal in the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
Shakib is only the fifth cricketer in history to take 400 or more wickets in the T20s. Dwyane Bravo, Imran Tahir, Sunil Narine and Rashid Khan are the other bowlers to reach the same milestone.
It was Mahmudullah Riyad, the captain of Minister Group Dhaka, who fell prey to Shakib as his 400th wicket with a catch to Dwayne Bravo— who is the holder of the record of taking most wickets in the format with more than 550 wickets to his name.
Also read: It’s great to get recognised, says Shakib after being in ICC ODI team of year
Coming into his 353rd T20s, Shakib completed this remarkable feat with four five-wicket and 10 four-wicket hauls.
Shakib’s best in the format is taking six wickets only conceding six runs in the Caribbean Premier League. Shakib also has 215 wickets in Tests and 277 wickets in ODIs.
Also read: It’s wrong that we have no player sans big guns: Shakib
Shakib, Mushfiq, Mustafiz make way into ICC Men’s ODI team 2021
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced its men’s and women’s teams for the year 2021 for different formats of cricket with maximum three cricketers being picked from Bangladesh in the Men’s ODI team.
All- rounder Shakib Al Hasan, wicket-keeper batter Mushfiqur Rahim and pacer Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh included in the ICC Men’s ODI team.
Bangladeshi brilliant pacer Mustafizur Rahman has also been included in the ICC Men’s T20 team for the year. But, Bangladesh has no representation in the ICC Men’s Test, Women’s ODI and T20 teams.
Unrepresented in the ICC's Men's 'T20 Team of the Year 2021' due to a disastrous World Cup campaign in the UAE, no Indian cricketer featured in the global body's 'ODI Team of the Year 2021', despite the inclusion of two players from minnows Ireland.
Incidentally, the ICC Men’s ODI team also does not have any cricketers from Australia, England, New Zealand and West Indies.
But the team has two Pakistani cricketers, including Babar Azam as captain for both the Men’s ODI and T20 teams and another is Fakhar Zaman.
Read: BPL 2022: Chattogram Challengers to Play Fortune Barishal in Season Opener
Babar, who has played least among the 11 players, also has 405 runs in six games with two hundreds while his country-mate Zaman has 369 runs in the year.
Shakib was superb as an all-rounder having 277 runs and 17 wickets, while Mushfiqur Rahim had 400-plus runs along with stumping and catches while pacer Mustafizur Rahman had 18 wickets to consider for ICC Men’s ODI team.
Sri Lanka (15), Ireland (14) and Bangladesh (12) played the most number of ODIs in 2021, so their players dominate in the ICC XI.
ICC teams of the year 2021 for different formats:
Men's ODIs: Paul Stirling, Janneman Malan, Babar Azam (capt), Fakhar Zaman, Rassie van der Dussen, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Simi Singh and Dushmantha Chameera
Men's Tests: Dimuth Karunaratne, Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson (capt), Joe Root, Marnus Labuschagne, Fawad Alam, Rishabh Pant (wk), R Ashwin, Kyle Jamieson, Hasan Ali, and Shaheen Afridi
Men's T20Is: Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (capt), Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Wanindu Hasaranga, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shaheen Afridi
Read: Bangabandhu BPL begins on Friday sans spectators
Women's ODIs: Lizelle Lee, Alyssa Healy (wk), Tammy Beaumont, Mithali Raj, Heather Knight (capt), Hayley Matthews, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Fatima Sana, Jhulan Goswami, and Anisa Mohammed
Women's T20Is: Smriti Mandhana, Tammy Beaumont, Danni Wyatt, Gaby Lewis, Nat Sciver (capt), Amy Jones (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp, Sophie Ecclestone, Loryn Phiri, Shabnim Ismail
Bangladesh’s aimless year in cricket
Dhaka, Dec 29 (UNB) — The year started on a hopeful note for Bangladesh as Shakib Al Hasan had returned to international cricket early this year after serving a ban imposed by the ICC for failing to report corrupt approaches by a known bookie. But by the time it ended, supporters of the Tigers were hoping they could forget 2021 as soon as possible.
Shakib was the most valuable player immediately upon his return, in the ODI series against the West Indies early this year. It was not the right indicator of what was in store for the remainder of the year. The downhill slide began in the Test series that followed the ODIs against the men from the Caribbean, who were severely depleted yet totally outplayed Bangladesh in both matches on the way to winning 2-0.
Bangladesh won 20 international matches across all three formats this year, out of 46 played. Although that makes it their second-best year in terms of matches won, this does not reflect the suffering that Bangladesh went through playing at home or abroad in 2021, and across all three formats really.
The poor show in Tests continued all through the year. At the end of the year, the Mominul Haque-led team suffered another 2-0 series defeat at home, this time against Pakistan.
BCB approves Shakib’s application to skip NZ tour
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has approved Shakib Al Hasan’s application to skip the New Zealand tour for a two-match series starting early next month.
Nazmul Hasan, president of BCB, confirmed it this afternoon during a media interaction in Dhaka.
When asked if Shakib’s application was approved, Nazmul said: “Yes, of course”.
Also read: Shakib writes to BCB to skip NZ tour
Bangladesh are currently taking on Pakistan in the ongoing rain-disrupted Dhaka Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh recently announced an 18-member squad for the New Zealand tour including Shakib. Within a couple of hours after the announcement, Shakib submitted a letter to BCB asking for leave for “family duty”.
The first Test of the New Zealand tour will take place on January 1, and the second Test will be played from January 9.
Also read: Shakib joins national team ahead of Dhaka Test
Shakib joins national team ahead of Dhaka Test
Ahead of the Dhaka Test against Pakistan starting on December 4, ace Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan joined the national team on Thursday.
Shakib started practice alone a few days ago, but he needed to get tested for Covid-19 and return negative to join the national team.
On Thursday afternoon, he practised with the team and later joined the team hotel. Shakib missed the first Test due to a hamstring injury that he sustained on October 29 against West Indies during the T20 World Cup.
Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan on his way to reach another milestone
Bangladesh lost the first Test by eight wickets in Chattogram despite some wonderful displays by Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim and Taijul Islam. Liton hit his maiden Test ton, Mushfiqur posted 91, and Taijul, the left-arm spinner, scalped seven wickets.
They were bettered by the fast bowlers of Pakistan- Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali, and Pakistan opener Abid Ali hits a century and posted 91 as well.
The hosts suffered immensely in the first Test due to the lack of an extra bowler. That deficit might be negotiated well in the presence of Shakib who will also be a great option for batting.
Bangladesh have four uncapped players in the Dhaka Test squad— Mohammad Naim, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Shohidul Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy. Yasir Ali Rabbi was also uncapped ahead of the first Test, and the batter got his maiden cap in that match in Chattogram which is also his hometown.
However, Bangladesh released right-handed opener Saif Hassan, who was diagnosed with typhoid recently. BCB did not call any replacement for him.
Along with Shakib, Bangladesh also included Taskin Ahmed for the Dhaka Test. The right-arm pacer played the T20I series, but he got injured and was ruled out of the first Test.
Abu Jayed and Ebadot Hossain were in Bangladesh’s pace-bowling attack, but they failed to help the team properly.
Read: ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2022: Five Bangladeshi Cricketers who could shine in New Zealand
With this series, Bangladesh started the new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship. In the previous cycle, Bangladesh played a total of seven Tests and failed to win any of them.
Pakistan team has also started preparation for the Dhaka Test. A few members of the Pakistan team including captain Babar Azam took part in an optional training session on Thursday.
After this series, Bangladesh will tour New Zealand for a two-match series. The Tigers will fly for New Zealand on December 9.
Shakib ruled out of T20 World Cup
Bangladesh star allrounder Shakib Al Hasan has been ruled out of the rest of the T20 World Cup taking place in the UAE. It came as a fresh setback for the Tigers who are suffering immensely in the World Cup.
Shakib sustained a hamstring injury in the match against West Indies. The team management had said that the cricketer would undergo an assessment to see the extent of his injury.
On Sunday, the Bangladesh team management confirmed that the allrounder has been ruled out of the remaining World Cup due to the injury.
Also read: Shakib emerges as highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cups
“It’s difficult for Shakib to take part in the remainder of the World Cup,” Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector told UNB. “It’s confirmed that Shakib won’t be able to play these two matches. But we still are waiting for the physio's report.”
Debashis Chowdhury, the chief physician of BCB said that Shakib suffered Grade 1 hamstring injury, and has been ruled out of the World Cup.
Shakib scored 131 runs in six matches he played in the World Cup along with taking 11 wickets. His best bowling in the World Cup was taking four wickets conceding only nine runs.
Also read: Sloppy fielding remains the biggest concern for Bangladesh: Habibul Bashar
Bangladesh have lost all three matches they played in the Super 12s of the World Cup. They will take on South Africa and Australia in their last two matches of the Super 12s stage.
The Tigers have no real chance to qualify for the Semifinals of this World Cup.
After the World Cup, Bangladesh will take on Pakistan at home.
Shakib emerges as highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cups
Bangladesh’s all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the history of ICC T20 World Cups, as he took his 40th and 41st wickets in the tournament’s ongoing edition against Sri Lanka at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
He earned the feat with his 40th wicket by bowling out Panthum Nissanka, 24, of Sri Lanka in the first ball of his 2nd over, leaving the Island nation for 71 for 2 in 8.1 overs.
Shakib further improved his record of grabbing 41 wickets bowling out Avishka Fernando for a duck in his 4th ball of the same over (2nd over) with scoreboard showing 71 for 3 in the 8.4 overs.
Earlier on Thursday, Shakib Al Hasan drew level with the record of Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi, taking 39 wickets in T20 World Cups.
Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan Reaches Three Unique Milestones
Afridi took 39 wickets in 34 matches of the T20 World Cups between 2007 and 2016. Shakib needed just 28 matches to touch Afridi’s record. He broke the record in his 29th match. Along the way, Shakib registered three four-wicket hauls, while Afridi has two four-wicket hauls.
Shakib named ICC Player of the Month, No. 1 all-rounder in T20
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been named the ICC Player of the Month for July, ICC announced on Wednesday afternoon.
On the same day, Shakib topped the list of the ICC T20 all-rounder ranking after three years for his outstanding display in the shortest format of international cricket.
Read: BAN vs AUS 2021: Shakib Al Hasan On Verge of Achieving Two Milestones
Earlier, former Bangladesh captain and wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim won the ICC Player of the Month for May.
Shakib’s contributions to all three formats of the game helped Bangladesh win the series against Zimbabwe last month. He scored 96 unbeaten runs as Bangladesh defeated Zimbabwe by three wickets in the second ODI at the Harare Sports Club.
In the T20Is with the ball, Hasan took three wickets at an economy rate of seven leading his country to a series win against Zimbabwe. He is also the top Men’s all-rounder in the MRF ICC Men’s T20 Rankings announced earlier today.
“It is very humbling to be voted ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July 2021. There have been many outstanding performances during the month and that is why this is special for me,” Shakib was quoted in the ICC media release.
Read: Bangladesh beat Australia in final T20, take the series 4-1
“I find most pleasure and satisfaction when I contribute to wins and therefore, I am very happy to have helped in Bangladesh’s successes over the last few weeks,” Shakib added.
In the recently-concluded five-match T20 series against Australia, Shakib won the player of the match award. In this series, Shakib scored more than 100 runs and bagged seven wickets.
Bangladesh will play another five-match T20I series in early September against New Zealand. The Blackcaps have already announced the squad for this series. They will arrive in Bangladesh on August 24.
The Tigers were scheduled to take on England later this year as well, but both Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and England and Wales Cricket Board (BCB) decided to reschedule this series in March 2023.