Shakib Al Hasan 🏏

Shakib Al Hasan is undoubtedly the biggest name to come out of Bangladesh cricket. A genuine all-rounder, he has been a vital and consistent performer for Bangladesh over the years.

Shakib’s cricket journey began in villages near his hometown Magura. After honing his skills at a government sports facility, he was picked for the Under-19 tri-series featuring England and Sri Lanka, where he scored an 86-ball century and took three wickets in the final to help Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka. This performance led to his selection for the series against Zimbabwe.

He made his mark early by scoring his first ODI century against Canada in a tri-series in the West Indies just before the 2007 World Cup. Shakib then scored a composed fifty and bowled economically to help Bangladesh secure a big win over India. He continued to build his reputation with a century against Pakistan later that year.

In Tests, Shakib’s breakthrough came in 2008 against New Zealand in Chittagong, where he took 7/36 — the best bowling figures by a Bangladeshi bowler to date — and scored a crucial fifty. Despite his efforts, Bangladesh lost the match due to lack of support from other bowlers.

Shakib’s consistency earned him the ICC No. 1 ranking among all-rounders. He took over Bangladesh’s captaincy from Mohammad Ashraful and led from the front, notably picking five wickets and scoring an unbeaten 96 in a Test series win against a weakened West Indies, helping Bangladesh clinch the series 3-0.

His stint with Worcestershire County Cricket Club sharpened his skills further, taking 35 wickets in a season including best figures of 7/32 to help them get promoted. Around the same time, he led Bangladesh to a historic whitewash over New Zealand in 2010 as the top run-scorer and wicket-taker.

Shakib played a key role in Bangladesh’s wins over England, Ireland, and the Netherlands during the 2011 World Cup, despite the team’s overall disappointing exit. He continued performing well in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders.

Although sacked as captain before the West Indies tour in 2011, Shakib proved his value as Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker and a solid batsman in both ODIs and Tests. He became the first Bangladeshi to score a century and take five wickets in a Test innings during the home series against Pakistan later that year, securing the ICC’s No. 1 Test all-rounder ranking.

In 2012, Shakib was made ‘Icon Player’ for Khulna Royal Bengals in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), leading them to the semi-finals while topping his team’s runs and wickets. He also earned Player of the Tournament honors in the Asia Cup with 237 runs and six wickets as Bangladesh reached the final for the first time.

That year, he contributed significantly to Kolkata Knight Riders’ first IPL title, playing eight matches and winning two Man of the Match awards.

By 2012, Shakib became Bangladesh’s leading Test wicket-taker and the fastest all-rounder to reach 100 wickets and 1,000 runs in Tests, achieving this in just 28 matches. Though sidelined by a shin injury, he bounced back to become the most expensive player at the 2013 BPL auction, leading Dhaka Gladiators to victory and winning Man of the Tournament again.

He also played county cricket for Leicestershire and starred in the Caribbean Premier League for Barbados Tridents, recording outstanding T20 bowling figures of 6/6.

In 2014, Shakib faced disciplinary issues, including a fine and suspension for an inappropriate gesture and a ban following a brawl with a spectator, though the ban was later reduced.

Despite setbacks, he joined elite company in November 2014 by scoring a hundred and taking ten wickets in the same Test against Zimbabwe. He also signed with Melbourne Renegades for the Big Bash League.

Shakib was instrumental in Bangladesh’s ODI series wins against Pakistan, India, and South Africa after the 2015 World Cup. Though he struggled in the 2016 World T20, his performances in Tests, including a record partnership with Mominul Haque, highlighted his continued value.

He earned Man of the Series honors in Sri Lanka with a Test century and nine wickets, helping Bangladesh draw the series, and helped the team level a T20I series, before being named Bangladesh’s T20I captain after Mashrafe Mortaza’s retirement.

Shakib played for Kolkata Knight Riders from 2011 to 2017, delivering many match-winning performances. He then moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018, taking 14 wickets and scoring 230+ runs in the IPL. In the 2023 IPL auction, KKR bought him back for 1.5 crores. With overseas all-rounders like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and David Wiese in the squad, it will be interesting to see how much playing time Shakib gets.

In summary, Shakib Al Hasan is a true Bangladesh cricket legend — a world-class all-rounder whose impact on his national team and global cricket is immense.