Shakib’s involvement
When Windies left-hander Jonathan Carter hit Mustafizur Rahman wide of long-on, he perhaps felt that he had found a boundary. What he found instead was an electric Shakib Al Hasan racing across to his left before taking flight and arresting the ball's trajectory, all the while maintaining balance and composure before clutching the ball out of thin air to take a spectacular catch. Even Shakib was in awe of the speed the ball was travelling in and his face said it all, especially after getting into the thick of the action after a long time. But that catch was neither the Bangladesh top all-rounder's only contribution nor the most critical one in the Tigers' eight-wicket victory over West Indies in their opening fixture of the tri-series in Ireland -- a game where Tigers' ace all-rounder put in a sublime all-round performance.
He felt the critical contribution had come when West Indies openers were running away with the match. "We did not start well. For me the most important time in the match was when me and [Mehedi Hasan] Miraz were bowling. Our bowling partnership was good and the breakthroughs came at that time. The way they started, at one stage it seemed like they would score 300 to 320," Shakib told reporters yesterday in Dublin.
After all the talk of his non-involvement in the team's World Cup jersey photo shoot, it was his involvement on the pitch that stood out in this match against the Windies. The ace all-rounder has been missing in action for a long time for the national team as his preparation for the World Cup were hindered by injuries. Lacking in match fitness, he pulled out a performance to help the Tigers after they slumped to defeat in a practice match against Ireland Wolves and facing difficulties with cold Irish weather.
For Shakib, the recipe for adapting -- even to difficult conditions -- was to stay consumed in the match.
"You can find ways to keep yourself warm. If you can be involved with the match, I think you can adjust to the cold," he said.
When he came in to bat, his task was to keep the momentum of the chase going after Windies managed 261. He approached the chase in his usual free-flowing manner. A tempo that made Tigers' chase easy and an innings that would have helped even during a 300-plus chase. His run-a-ball 61 was decisive just like his contributions with the ball and on the field.
"I played after a six-month period for the national team so physically there is the possibility of nervousness. Since I played well in the practice match, there was some confidence but doing well against a bowling lineup of West Indies' calibre is a big relief. We have started well and we need to continue," he said.
He said that the performance had removed some doubts. "There were many ifs and buts ahead of the first match but I think after this those things will clear out," he added.
With his involvement, Shakib is well on his way to removing self-doubt following his return for the Tigers.
Comments