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DT<br />
18<br />
Sports<br />
FRIDAY, AUGUST <strong>25</strong>, <strong>2017</strong><br />
No regrets for<br />
Shakib after 10<br />
years in Test cricket<br />
• Ali Shahriyar Bappa<br />
Shakib al Hasan, the world’s No 1<br />
all-rounder according to the latest<br />
ICC Test ranking, feels no regret after<br />
playing just 49 matches in his 10<br />
years of Test service.<br />
Bangladesh have played a lot<br />
less Tests compared to Australia<br />
and New Zealand or any other nation.<br />
Australia have played 114 Tests<br />
since 2007 while England contested<br />
129 matches.<br />
The Tigers played only two<br />
Tests in 2016.<br />
In comparison, this year Bangladesh<br />
got to play a few away Tests –<br />
five - and are still to play four Tests<br />
- two against Australia at home and<br />
as many against South Africa away.<br />
Shakib, a regular performer<br />
for the Tigers since his Test debut<br />
against India in 2007, yesterday<br />
recalled memories of his first Test<br />
and informed that there is much<br />
more responsibility on him now<br />
as he is one of senior players of the<br />
team.<br />
“I did not think anything like<br />
how much Tests I will play or anything<br />
else during my first Test. That<br />
time it was a bit of fun. But now<br />
there is more responsibility, along<br />
with the fun factor. It would have<br />
been nice If I played more Tests.<br />
But actually, there is not much regret.<br />
How much I perform for the<br />
team in matches is the most important<br />
thing to me,” Shakib told the<br />
media at Sher-e-Bangla National<br />
Stadium in Mirpur.<br />
“There are two more Tests<br />
ahead. Our team performed well<br />
this year. Hopefully we will play<br />
well in the upcoming series,” he<br />
said.<br />
There were numerous occasions<br />
when Shakib’s outstanding performance<br />
lifted the Tigers, sometimes<br />
earning glory along the way.<br />
But when asked about his best<br />
performance, Shakib chose the 96-<br />
run innings he played while chasing<br />
against host West Indies in St<br />
George’s in 2009.<br />
Bangladesh won the match<br />
by four wickets, and eventually<br />
clinched the series 2-0.<br />
“Memorable Test was against<br />
England in Dhaka in which we won.<br />
Personally I believe the innings<br />
against the West Indies was one of<br />
my best. And also the 217 against<br />
New Zealand was a memorable<br />
achievement. In terms of bowling,<br />
seven wickets against New Zealand<br />
in Chittagong was my personal favourite,”<br />
said Shakib.<br />
Surprisingly, Shakib never<br />
played against Australia during his<br />
49- Test career and the all-rounder<br />
said he is all ready to go against the<br />
Aussies.<br />
“It’s an exciting feeling. We<br />
have played ODIs and T20Is several<br />
times but in Test, it is the first time.<br />
Australia and England always give<br />
Test cricket extra value. To play<br />
against such sides is always exciting,”<br />
he explained.<br />
After 10 years in Test cricket,<br />
Shakib admitted that a lot has<br />
changed positively in Bangladesh<br />
cricket since his debut and he also<br />
thanked the fans, officials and<br />
everyone related with the game for<br />
his success.<br />
Memorable Test was<br />
against England in<br />
Dhaka in which we<br />
won. Personally I<br />
believe the innings<br />
against the West<br />
Indies was one of my<br />
best. And also the 217<br />
against New Zealand<br />
was a memorable<br />
achievement. In<br />
terms of bowling,<br />
seven wickets against<br />
New Zealand in<br />
Chittagong was my<br />
personal favourite<br />
“It’s a satisfying thing. Ten years<br />
is a long time. This is a positive<br />
sign that our cricket has improved.<br />
Credit goes to all. Even before 10<br />
years, so many people have contributed.<br />
Administrations, facilities,<br />
support staffs, coaches, even<br />
ball-boys, and obviously, fans.<br />
I think Bangladesh people love<br />
cricket even more than the Indians.<br />
Cricket is the No 1 thing in Bangladesh.<br />
For players, it’s a great satisfaction,”<br />
he said.<br />
He added, “Mehedi Hasan Miraz<br />
and Taijul Islam have been bowling<br />
really well. Earlier I got some really<br />
good support from [Abdur Razzak]<br />
Raj bhai, [Mohammad] Rafique<br />
bhai. In previous days, we did not<br />
get helpful wickets. But now the<br />
mentality has changed. Now we<br />
play for win. So bowlers get good<br />
chance to shine.” •<br />
Shakib al Hasan throws the ball during training in Mirpur yesterday<br />
Bangladesh spinners to<br />
lead the contest<br />
• Minhaz Uddin Khan<br />
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al<br />
Hasan believes their spinners will<br />
fare better than the Australia slow<br />
bowlers.<br />
With the first Test match scheduled<br />
to begin in Mirpur’s Sher-e-<br />
Bangla National Stadium in two<br />
days’ time, the spin battle between<br />
the two sides have been a major<br />
topic for discussion.<br />
If the Bangladesh spinners are<br />
sharpening up with the inclusion<br />
of spin consultant Sunil Joshi, who<br />
joined the camp yesterday, Australia<br />
batsmen are busy finding techniques<br />
in the nets to counter the<br />
opposition attack.<br />
There is also discussions going<br />
around as to how Bangladesh will<br />
want the slightly renovated wicket<br />
in Mirpur to behave.<br />
However, Shakib, who will<br />
be playing his 50th Test and his<br />
maiden against Australia, thinks<br />
the Tigers should put aside every<br />
thought and just play according to<br />
the situation.<br />
“We do not have control on<br />
wickets. Rather, the curators have<br />
control. It will not be wise to think<br />
much about it. We will have to perform<br />
better than them under any<br />
condition, given it is our home. It<br />
will be good for me if the wicket<br />
helps spin, considering that I am a<br />
spinner,” Shakib told the media at<br />
SBNS yesterday.<br />
“At the same time, we should<br />
also think of our pacers, they are<br />
capable of taking wickets. They<br />
are experienced. We should not<br />
depend only on the spinners. You<br />
will see the pacers giving you a<br />
vital breakthrough at times and<br />
this is way bigger than a spinner<br />
taking four or five wickets,” he<br />
said.<br />
Australia have struggled in the<br />
sub-continent in the past 10 years.<br />
In their previous six visits to<br />
Asia, the side have won only twice.<br />
Their most recent win came<br />
against host India in February this<br />
year.<br />
The Aussies had started the<br />
four-match series with a win only<br />
MD MANIK<br />
to face a 2-1 defeat with one game<br />
finishing in a draw.<br />
Shakib and Team Bangladesh<br />
are aware of the fact and the former<br />
hopes Australia’s struggle would<br />
continue as the host expect a possible<br />
2-0 win in the series.<br />
“They have the culture of coping<br />
quick with foreign condition.<br />
They do struggle but they do come<br />
over it. We will have to play our<br />
best cricket to win against them. It<br />
will not be wise to start the series<br />
depending on the condition and<br />
wicket,” said Shakib.<br />
“It is true that we are in a very<br />
good shape but it is tough to say if<br />
it is the best time for us to play Test<br />
against Australia for the simple fact<br />
that we did not play against them<br />
as of yet (in Test). So it is tough to<br />
say if we will have a better chance<br />
against them, although they are<br />
an inexperienced team, and have<br />
struggled in India and Sri Lanka<br />
recently. I will hope they continue<br />
that way here too and we do well,”<br />
concluded the former Bangladesh<br />
Test captain. •
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