MATCH STORIES
Follow Us3, 8, 0, 13, 23, 1, 7, 9, 4, 10
The numbers you see above would be considered a ‘horror run’ even for a bowling all-rounder batting at No.8, but, prior to the Netherlands clash today (June 13), these were the last ten T20 World Cup scores of Bangladesh’s talisman, Shakib Al Hasan.
T20 is, admittedly, Shakib’s worst format as a batter, but the former skipper had become ineffective to the point that he had turned into a passenger for the side; a burden.
Forget underperforming in T20WCs, Shakib, before today’s clash, had been a serial underperformer with the bat in T20Is for at least two years.
Between October 24, 2022 and 13 June 2024, Shakib had batted 19 times in T20Is. In this period, he averaged 18 while striking at 113, not passing the 50-run mark even a single time.
The bad run would have been forgotten had he stepped up his game at the start of this T20WC, but instead, two failures brought the 37-year-old’s form under the scanner ahead of the clash against Netherlands.
Bangladesh performed admirably in each of their first two games in this T20WC, but Shakib had a week to forget: he began the competition with a 14-ball 8 against Sri Lanka and then backed it up with an equally poor 3 (4) against South Africa.
The fact of the left-hander falling prey to the short ball in both games became a significant talking point in lead-up to Thursday’s clash.
One notable name tore into Shakib in the aftermath of his failure against South Africa.
"If you are picked in the World Cup squad for your experience, then show that it was actually worth it. You need to spend some time at the crease at least,” the former Indian cricketer, Virender Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.
“You are not Adam Gilchrist or Matthew Hayden. Hooks and pulls are not your strengths. You are a Bangladeshi player. You play according to your strength.
"During the last World Cup, I thought he should no longer be picked for the T20 format. Time for retirement came a long time ago. You are such a senior player, you were the captain of this team.
“You should actually be ashamed of your recent numbers. You should come forward and announce yourself that enough is enough, I'm retiring from this format,” the former India opener added.
It’s unclear whether Shakib was actually aware of the comments made by Sehwag, but on June 13 (Thursday) in St Vincent, the left-hander batted as if he had a point to prove.
Entering the Netherlands clash without a T20WC fifty in 16 innings, the left-hander produced an inspired showing with the bat to notch up his first fifty in the competition after 3010 days. In the process, he carried the Tigers in what was one of their most important World Cup fixtures in years.
Shakib carrying Bangladesh in a T20WC game, ah, just like the good ol’ days.
Shakib is a batter who is a gifted stroke maker, but his last two T20WCs had been defined by sluggish knocks. In particular, he had made a habit of making slow starts.
Across his previous 13 T20WC knocks, the left-hander had registered a strike rate of 88.2 in his first 10 balls. He’d only struck at more than 110 in his first 10 balls twice during this period.
But things couldn’t have been more different on June 13 (Thursday). At 23/3 in 3.1 overs, the left-hander walked out with a purpose and hammered 25 off his first 13 balls, making fullest use of the powerplay. His first 10 balls yielded 17 runs - his third-highest score after 10 balls in T20WC history.
Sometimes, a single over can prove to be a turning point for a player. That was certainly the case for Shakib against the Netherlands.
After posting 7 off his first 7 balls, the 37-year-old decided to take on the bowling of Logan van Beek in the final over of the powerplay. And he absolutely obliterated the right-armer, going 4 2 4 0 4 4 to turn his fortunes around.
On a personal front, this over was the turning point for Shakib not just because of how much he scored, but the kind of deliveries he’d scored off.
Having seen what had happened across the South Africa and Sri Lanka clashes, van Beek went short and tried to bounce the left-hander out.
But Shakib, here, was up for the challenge. He took on the barrage head-on, and came out on top.
The six balls proved to be a game-changer for Shakib. The tide turned, and he went on to post the third-highest score in his 17-year-long T20WC career.
Shakib pulling out a ‘Yeah Viru, talk na’ chit in Denesh Ramdin-esque fashion after getting to fifty would have been the icing on the cake, but perhaps he was focused on more important things, such as helping his side win a crucial encounter and reach the Super 8s.
Turns out, Sehwag was wrong after all. This 37-year-old has still got it.
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