Revealing the Real Shakib Al Hasan: The Maverick Who Defies Expectations
Shakib Al Hasan was maybe never in the running to win the game’s “Mr Congeniality” contest because he wanted to be Anil Kapoor’s “Nayak” for a day and fix everything that was wrong with the BPL, like sending stumps cartwheeling in disgust with a left-footed pile driver or pushing the boundaries of the “Spirit of Cricket” by getting a player ‘Timed Out.”
As he prepares to say goodbye to international cricket, his 14,271 international runs—14 hundreds, 708 wickets, and 119 catches—across 446 international games over the last 17 years place him on a pedestal that will be hard for Bangladeshi cricketers of future generations to top.
He was unmatched in 50 overs cricket, particularly when Bangladesh as a team discovered its groove, with more than 300 wickets and more than 7,500 runs. For Indian supporters of a certain era, his patient fifty-seven at Port of Spain during the 2007 ODI World Cup hurts just as much as Tamim Iqbal’s six that struck the stadium’s upper level concrete.
Without a doubt, Shakib is Bangladesh’s first real blue world class cricketer and may go down as their all-time greatest player thanks to some truly amazing performances with both his disciplined left-arm spin over hundreds of overs and his elegant and cheeky left-handed batting.
It is evident to anyone who has followed Shakib for any length of time that he is anything but a “people pleaser”. The Bangladeshi cricketing establishments have found him to be a little too in-your-face and domineering throughout the years.
Unquestionably, Shakib has left a lasting legacy in cricket, and it would be a betrayal of Bangladeshi cricket if the 37-year-old is not given a respectable send-off in Test matches at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur.
This occurs in the midst of an alleged false murder charge from when he wasn’t even in the nation—the civil turmoil. He was an Awami League member of parliament, therefore the demonstrators took no prisoners and called him a murderer.
“It’s been difficult for me. Allah alone knows how intently I’m watching the game. Not even I am aware of it. A case has been made against me. Everybody is entitled to certain rights. You are all aware of the nature of the case, my location, and my activities at the moment. Before what could be his 71st and final Test match, Shakib told media in Kanpur, “I don’t want to talk much about it.”
It is unfortunate, but it is unlikely that the current caretaker government will be particularly interested in planning Shakib’s last game in Bangladesh. Shakib is now regarded as more than just a legendary athlete in Bangladesh. He was a person connected to Sheikh Hasina. We are up against them,” a top journalist from Bangladesh told PTI.
Shakib was one of the most sought after Bangladeshi players in all leagues before to Mustafizur Rahaman’s arrival.
Shakib had the most overall impact, with Mohammed Ashraful being a minefield of potential gone wrong, Tamim Iqbal possessing both brains and game, and Mushfiqur Rahim being the epitome of commitment.
He was always in a class of his own, whether he was scoring 217 against Trent Boult and Tim Southee at the Basin Reserve in Wellington or amassing 84 runs and 10 wickets in a match against Australia at Mirpur.
Who could forget his game-winning hit for KKR in the 2014 Indian Premier League final? He participated in two IPL championship winning KKR teams under Gautam Gambhir, and he played 71 IPL games.
He is still in high demand in leagues all over the world. Maybe his explosive success and increased exposure to the inner workings of cricket establishments abroad caused him to become somewhat aloof from the fans and from the way the media represented him in general.
For instance, Mashrafe Mortaza was one of the most well-liked Bangladeshi captains up until this point. Shakib was clearly superior to Mashrafe as a cricket player, but Mashrafe was always friendly with the media. They had Mashrafe as “Mash” and Shakib as Shakib.
He may never have revealed anything about his personal life, made far more money than his fellow cricket players, and as a result, he never experienced the same level of support from others in difficult circumstances.
His plain speaking was also never helpful.
When asked about what he would like to see changed if appointed CEO of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), he responded that he would like to be like ‘Anil Kapoor’s character in the movie Nayak,’ who gains power for a day and implements radical changes.
Or for that matter when he kicked the stumps after being denied what seemed a plumb leg before or the way he raced towards square leg umpire during a BPL game when he didn’t call an overhead wide.
His indignation was justified each time, but the way he expressed it brought condemnation and hatred upon him.
He filed an appeal at the Feroz Shah Kotla last year to get Angelo Mathews dismissed for failing to take guard within the allotted time after the previous batsman was out, citing the “Timed Out” rule. Matthiews was substituted as required, but the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ reared its ugly head, with the seasoned Sri Lankan expressing his disdain at Shakib for “stooping so low”.
When all he did was pay attention to his captain-in-waiting Najmul Shanto—who genuinely informed him of the regulations—he failed to gather supporters.
Hopefully, Bangladeshi cricket history will be more kinder to Shakib Al Hasan, a fantastic cricketer with international renown.
The post Revealing the Real Shakib Al Hasan: The Maverick Who Defies Expectations appeared first on Cricket Country.