Take A Bow Shakib-Al-Hasan, The Marathon Man For Bangladesh

A hero isn’t the one who’s liked by all. But a hero can be someone who eschews the headlines, misses the glorious ovations, but consumes all the pressure whilst giving his all.

In a world bedazzled by the Kohlis and Rohits, Warners and Gayles, Shakib Al Hasan isn’t really a headline material.

But does he need to be? So long as his runs keep coming and the wickets keep tumbling it appears that all’s right with Bangladesh. The red carpet welcomes, street-naming, boulevard-thumping heroic welcomes do not belong to Shakib.

But what certainly belongs to Shakib Al Hasan are the grittily collected runs and the miserly economy rates. The sweat and the rigor, the emotional appeals, the group huddles and the pep talks to a bowler under pressure, a walk-down toward the batsman at the other end; for they define one of Cricket’s truly understated heroes, actually a genius from Bangladesh’s perspective.

On June 17, as the West Indies put on a fighting 321 on the board, minus anything substantial ever by Gayle or Russell, it took Shakib Al Hasan some quintessential grind in the middle to take Bangladesh over the ropes in a comprehensive 7-wicket win.

In so doing, not only did he strike a thumping hundred, a 124 that came off just 99 deliveries, but he remained unbeaten.

Make no mistake. He did give the Windies bowlers one chance too many.

The top-edges toward the third man region and the miscalculated flicks towards deep square leg would land safely. But perhaps even the purist, one who regards the value of a partnership in an age of powerplay understood that Bangladesh played a lot better than the ones they vanquished.

Call it a small ground or what you may. But even 322 is never easy to chase. In that respect, that Shakib Al Hasan, who scored his second century of the series and the second-fastest (in CWC 19) at that ensured that his team had over 7 overs to spare. He made the art of a run-chase seem ridiculously easy.

But well before the contest even started, few gave Bangladesh a chance. After all, it was the mighty, brawn-sporting, long-locked, bling-wearing brigade of Calypso dashers they were up against.

And perhaps that is exactly what made Shakib’s feat enormously important. That while he was up against a bunch of batting grizzlies, for whom the act of muscling a six often takes no more than a movement of the smallest muscle in the arm, Shakib crafted his ninth hundred.

It was as if, in a contest between the clever Tom and the infallible Jerry, it was the tiny but brave rodent who bit chewed off the cat in the end. And it’s this strong survival instinct and the ability to back himself to deliver goods for Bangladesh that has given Shakib such amazing success over the years and in turn, his team, a hero that seems ever- ready to save the day.

Just as he did on a long, draining Monday, which he’d go on to make fun-filled albeit with a few scares with Bangladesh losing a well-set Tamim, and Mushfiqur, soon after.

But as they say with brave men; when the going gets tough, the tough get going. However, in front of a finely-placed inning, replete with glowing straight drives and sparkling square cuts, did the West Indies know where they were going?

Here’s a look at what Shakib’s managed in the last few years of playing solid ODI cricket.

From 2017 and 2018 combined, he’s scored over 900 ODI runs, struck 1 hundred and fired 8 of his 44 fifties at an average of 34.5 along with taking 27 wickets in the same period.

Having a strike rate of over 82 whilst having played in excess of 200 ODIs is no ordinary feat. Additionally, in being one of the only two men from his nation to have fired hundreds in a world cup can never be that easy, can it, the other being Mahmadulla!

In the course of the past half a decade, it’s nearly become a trend to learn of a particular player’s favorite or Dream XI, a combination of eleven extraordinary talents. But one wonders how many of today and yesteryear’s shining stars put Shakib’s name in an assortment of greats that commonly include- Kallis, Watson, Warne, Lara, Sachin, Ponting, and Sanga?

A captain’s job is not only to lead the team or lead it well. Nor is his job only concerned with setting the right field and getting the bowling combination right. The mark of a true leader is demonstrating how it’s done; leading by example.

In the light of the above, perhaps it’s safe to say that even the likes of Lara and Sangakkara, Kohli or Ponting will agree that Shakib does that and all the more for his vastly improved side, does he not? Take a bow, legend!