It has been an issue for him since the 2023 ODI World Cup. He wore a neck brace in the net even then. He also emphasized how important it was for him to keep his head still during BPL.
At the other end, Tanzid Hasan hit the ball well and Shakib, after attempting a cover drive off Paul van Meekeren, chased down Logan van Beek in the sixth over and hammered a short wide ball for 24 before pulling one over the short fine. -leg. He finished the over with a slice through backward point. It was 19 runs over and Shakib scored 25 in a T20I for the first time this year.
Then came a direct hit over midwicket off Tim Pringle. This is an unfamiliar Shakib shot, considering he has largely relied on hacks and slogs in T20Is over the past few years. This shot in particular drove home the point that he wasn’t going to throw it away in the middle overs. Beating the Netherlands was important for Bangladesh, but it was also important for Shakib to score, and he knew it.
Later in the innings, he allowed Mahmudullah to take a big hit as the experienced duo kept Bangladesh to a strong total. Shakib has reached fifty in a T20I for the first time since October 2022. He also scored his first fifty in a T20 World Cup since 2016. Shakib and Jaker Ali then added 54 runs to lead Bangladesh to a strong finish.
They also scored 54 runs (2 for 2) on the power play. This is an important number. It was the first time since Bangladesh came to the region in mid-May that they had scored more than 50 runs in their first six and last five overs. All this, and the key wickets of Rishad Hossain (3 for 3) and Mustafizur Rahman (1-12), gave Bangladesh a 25-run win and a good chance of reaching the Super Eight.
“I thought we did a good job of assessing the wicket. It was not an easy wicket to bat on at first,” Shakib said at a press conference afterwards. “As the ball got older, scoring became easier. I think wickets got easier in the second half and our bowlers did a great job. Rishad and Fizz shifted the momentum with the latter overs.”
Shakib felt that it was the bowling attack that ultimately gave Bangladesh victory. Netherlands rose from 111 for 3 to 134 for 8 in the last 32 balls.
“It was a challenging total so we had to bowl well. The game was 50-50 till the 12th over. Credit to Mustafizur and Rishad. They bowled really well at that stage,” he said. “Our bowling department has been performing consistently well for some time, especially our pace bowlers, and the addition of Rishad has helped me as well.
“I think (Rishad) showed great character. The full bowling unit did well. Everyone worked responsibly. Mustafizur, Takin (Ahmed) and Tanzim (Hasan) all bowled well and helped the rest of the attack. I think this happens.”
Shakib finished unbeaten with 68 off 46 balls. It was the kind of innings that could not have happened in IPL 2024, for example, but it is gold dust in this T20 World Cup, where batsmen usually struggle.
He had not played before this game. He was weak against short balls. He could have thrown away his wicket. He’s done so well over the years that he may not have had much of a single mistake recorded. “I never took individual goals seriously. If I had played for an individual goal, I would have hit it differently. I hit it for the team. I scored. That’s the most important thing.”
Shakib has faced a lot of criticism in his home country over the past few weeks, especially for his dismissals against Sri Lanka and South Africa. He is also still wicketless.
“A player does not come to answer. He must contribute to the team. He must bat well. If he is lucky, he may get a wicket. His job is to prevent runs and take catches. There is nothing more to say.” He answered like this: “I think it’s important for a current player to contribute to the team. If you don’t, you’ll be talked about, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
