Below-par Shakib bracing for impact
Fans were eager to see Shakib Al Hasan return to action as he made a comeback to cricket after completing a one-year ban, imposed by the ICC, on October 29 this year.
The Bangabandhu T20 Cup was thought to be the ideal platform for Shakib to announce his return and, although it was understood that the left-hander would take time to adapt and adjust after a year without competitive cricket, Gemcon Khulna snapped him up.
Many also opined that a player of Shakib's world-class calibre would not take long to find his mojo and begin putting in performances.
The top-ranked ODI all-rounder made a mark with the ball right away and although he has just picked up three wickets in five games, the left-armer is the most economical among those who have bowled more than 10 overs in the tournament and has bowled a tight line and length consistently. That bit of venom which separates his bowling was also seen immediately as batsmen struggled to judge his flight and length.
Shakib has bowled a total of 19 overs in five matches at a miserly economy rate of 4.68, recording his best figures against Beximco Dhaka. In that game, he bowled two consecutive maidens.
Even then, neither his bowling or batting have lived up to expectations and he has had a relatively quiet tournament so far.
Scores of 15, 12, 3, 11, and 14 belie Shakib's batting ability, which was underscored by a phenomenal performance in 2019 World Cup, where he scored 606 runs with two hundreds and five fifties. He also picked up eleven wickets to become the only cricketer in the history to score over 500 runs and bag ten wickets in a single World Cup campaign.
However, he has remained off-colour with the bat in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup and, despite being able to start the innings with a lot of promise, he has been prone to soft dismissals. Among his five dismissals, four were after Shakib tried to play over the top and mistimed it for a simple catch.
Shakib even opened the innings twice in this tournament, perhaps for the first time in his career. There was a sense that he has been holding himself back and not being able to express with the bat. Or perhaps it is magnified because Shakib has never gone this long without making an impact.
The charismatic cricketer, who is known for his extraordinary preparation, is desperate to return to his best and it was learned that Shakib had already asked for footage of his batting to assess his mistakes.
As Shakib mentioned during the World Cup in 2019, he needs a kick to fire. Perhaps he is waiting for that kick within himself and that might be today when his side faces Minister Rajshahi.