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With each passing day, Shakib Al Hasan is more being divided into two sides. One side is the best performer for Bangladesh, the other side is accused of not being committed enough.
Crazy as it sounds, how is it possible for the best performer of the team to be not committed enough?
Over the years, controversy has been accompanying him like his shadow. And now it is stonking to a whole new level with the repeated skipping of games, especially test cricket.
His withdrawal from the upcoming test series against New Zealand is the latest edition piling over the doubt about his commitments.
This saga of Shakib Al Hasan hibernating from test cricket started in 2017 vs South Africa and it is still on. Of the last 24 matches (including the ongoing Pakistan series) Bangladesh played since then, Shakib was available in only 7 of them.
And the fact that it was not always about injuries, makes things more dubious. Shakib’s alleged unwillingness to play test cricket is upsetting. But if you consider the timing, you would find it bizarre.
It started after a colossal performance against Australia at home. Shakib was the main protagonist of that fairy tale series with arguably the greatest ever performance by a Bangladeshi cricketer in tests that brought the Tigers their maiden test triumph against the Aussies.
After that performance, his name was pronounced with the likes of Sir Ian Botham, Imran khan and other greatest all-rounders. His numbers put him in the same frame as them.
From that point, a challenging away series against South Africa on the horizon seemed like the perfect opportunity for Shakib to shut the critics who would still doubt his impact. The fact that he had a 5 wicket haul in his last visit, strengthened the probability.
But what did Shakib do? He asked for leave for six months from test cricket which included two tests against the proteas followed by two tests at home against Sri Lankan the next year.
Why a player of Shakib’s stature, who was in superb form, would not want to take the chance to be considered on par with the greatest players of the game?
It is to be noted that Bangladesh played 8 ODIs and 4 T20Is that year with Shakib missing only two for injuries. Also, this is coming from a year when he scored 667 runs in 7 matches averaging 95.29 with 1 century, 1 double-century and 3 half-centuries.
With the ball, he took 27 wickets with 2 four and five-wicket hauls each. Many would wonder, at the point where his test career was probably at its peak, why he would lose interest in tests in that year? He never ever reached those heights again.
Shakib then came back in tests in July 2018, which was back then seen as a last effort by BCB to keep Shakib in tests. He played 2 tests and then again missed 2 against Zimbabwe in November at home.
He came back against West Indies in the very next series leading them to a 2-0 victory where Bangladesh also tasted their first-ever innings victory. He then again missed the three-match away test series against the Kiwis for injuries.
After that, Shakib played only two tests one against Afghanistan, in the darkest hour of Bangladesh’s test cricket and another against Windies at the beginning of the year which he left with an injury after the 3rd day.
In the meantime, he missed 3 tests vs India and Pakistan for a ban, one for injury, missed two against Sri Lanka for preparation of world T20 by participating in IPL, 1st test of the ongoing series for rest.
The latest is asking for a withdrawal from the New Zealand series. He only scored 2 half-centuries and had 1 fifer in that time period.
Leaving the test squad for IPL was embarrassing for our cricket. What’s the point in taking so many rests after he had a break from cricket for 1 year and again he took a break for several reasons.
Also, Bangladesh are having their lowest in the Shakib-Tamim-Mushfiq era. In such a situation, they need their best cards leading from the front, not taking leaves.
Shakib had the chance to cement his legacy as one of the greatest all-rounders, or the greatest of all, in test cricket.
Some may say he has a lack of commitment, which is highly unlikely considering his achievements, others think he simply doesn’t want to continue test cricket. Only Shakib knows why he chose this path.