Shakib now has a fifty and a four-for in an ODI for the fourth time in his profession, probably the most by any cricketer, beating the 3 times by Chris Gayle and Shahid Afridi. He has additionally completed the five-for.
However a superb allrounder taking part in for a staff usually in hassle often signifies that these Shakib Al Hasan days are extra crucial than decorative.
On this sport Shakib touched 300 ODI wickets, and is now 24 in need of reaching 7,000 runs within the format. Solely Afridi and Sanath Jayasuriya have reached these heights in ODIs. On most days, Jayasuriya and Afridi had seven or eight match-winners to share the load. For a lot of his profession, Shakib had two or three others. Now maybe there are just a few extra.
It’s arduous to resolve which of Shakib’s performances on Monday was extra significant. Each have been vital to Bangladesh’s win.
He made 75 off 71 balls when the innings was in decline. He could not discover any of Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz to stay round for lengthy sufficient to share slogging duties within the final ten overs.
To experience out Bangladesh’s mini middle-order collapse, Shakib waited for 35 balls earlier than getting his first boundary. When he did, he struck Sam Curran for 2 in a row. The remainder of his boundaries got here in direction of the loss of life, when he was working out of companions, however Shakib is the form of busy participant who reaches 30-odd with out anybody noticing after which finds the boundaries.
Shakib then had work to do with the ball. England went off to a different fast begin, earlier than he eliminated each openers, Phil Salt and Jason Roy, to convey the house aspect into parity. Salt was cross with himself for getting out to a brief ball, however Roy had no reply for what he calls Shakib’s “undercutter”. It’s basically the arm ball, which Roy performed again, and allowed to sneak underneath his bat.
Shakib saved bowling tightly however these watching had his impending three hundredth wicket in thoughts. It was additionally more and more trying like his final two overs, which Tamim had saved him again for after ending Taijul Islam’s spell from the pavilion finish, have been going to form the match.
Taijul eliminated Jos Buttler, however Shakib additionally took James Vince’s wicket to seal the deal, getting Vince to observe his line on leg and center just for it to interrupt sharply and take the skin edge (Mushfiqur Rahim juggled a bit however took it safely). For his three hundredth ODI wicket, Rehan Ahmed could not time Shakib’s half-tracker, solely to be caught at brief midwicket.
What takes Shakib to the strata of really nice allrounders is his consistency in Checks. He has taken 5 wickets and scored a fifty in Checks ten instances. Solely Ian Botham has completed it extra. Shakib has completed the one fifty and five-for six instances, and one occasion every for 2 fifties and a five-for, 100 and a five-for, 100 and a 10-wicket haul, and a fifty and 10-for. Bangladesh received solely three of those Checks.
It highlights the bodily load Shakib has taken over time, whatever the staff’s end result. For a very long time since Mohammad Rafique retired, Shakib needed to do the attacking, consolidating and defending with the ball. He has all the time needed to shortly put the pads on too, to get the staff a preventing half-century. Solely within the Checks towards West Indies (2009), Zimbabwe (2014) and Australia (2017) did the remainder of the staff contribute sufficient to win the Checks.
Tamim Iqbal, who has seen nowadays from Shakib for a few years, praised his long-time teammate for his contributions.
“I believed he was phenomenal,” he stated. “The way in which he batted, particularly with the tailenders, these 20-25 runs have been essential. Actually, the wicket did not have that a lot spin, however the best way he bowled was good. It gave confidence to Taijul, who did not begin nicely. He was speaking to Shakib. I believed it was a unbelievable effort from him.”
Tamim stated Shakib’s means to deal with strain made him a particular cricketer and referred to as him a “blessing”.
“I believe he’s mentally very sturdy,” he added. “More often than not you will notice him come out of strain conditions with related performances. He has completed it previously. He has nice skill-set to again his mentality. Not many individuals are blessed like him to bowl 10 overs and bat the best way he bats. Any staff might be blessed to have a participant like him.”
Blessing is probably one of the simplest ways to explain Shakib for Bangladesh. Over 16 years, it has at instances been a little bit of a stretch to ask him do it again and again. However Shakib has completed it, be it in a lifeless rubber or on the largest stage. In one other World Cup yr, a remaining push from Shakib is vital to Bangladesh’s ambitions.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
