He is considered to be one of the finest all-rounders in all three formats of cricket. In fact, Bangladesh star Shakib Al Hasan has become an inseparable part of every team he has represented for, be it the Bangladesh national team or a team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In a recent chat with the CricketSoccer, the all-rounder disclosed how happy he is to see the rise of a bunch of young, talented spinners in world cricket and how optimistic he is about the Bangladesh cricket team.
Here are the excerpts:
CricketSoccer (CS): From making your debut for Bangladesh in 2006 to becoming the most reliable performer of the team, how would you describe your journey in international cricket for almost 12 years?
Shakib Al Hasan (SH): It’s been good. I have come to learn so many things. I have witnessed both failure and success and more importantly, I realize what it takes to become successful in international cricket. I am fortunate that I was given the opportunity to represent the Bangladesh cricket team and hopefully, I have left a mark.
CS: As an all-rounder, have you ever followed someone?
SH: To be very honest, no. Never. I have seen so many all-rounders playing. I have played with and against some of the greatest all-rounders in the game. But I never followed anyone particular. Rather, I like to concentrate on my role as an all-rounder. I always try to find out how I can do things better on the field and contribute to the cause of the team.
CS: What would be your take on the cricketing rivalry between India and Bangladesh which has developed recently?
SH: I love to see this rivalry develop, but of course without any indecency. I know many things happen within the supporters of these two teams. But the players don’t think about this. We are always very good friends. In IPL, we play with each other. We have no enmity.
CS: Many young spinners are doing fantastic recently, being it Mehedi Hasan Miraz or Kuldeep Yadav or Rashid Khan. As an ace spinner, how satisfactory is this to see the revival of the art of spin bowling in world cricket?
SH: It’s really very pleasing. After the retirement of some of the great spinners like Shane Warne, Anil Kumble or Muttiah Muralitharan, it was thought that the art of spin bowling is at stake. Not many spinners were seen to dominate the field as these legends used to. But fortunately for the world cricket, young faces like Miraz, Kuldeep, Rashid, Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner, Akhila Dhananjaya are doing well. It’s good to see the revival of the art of spin bowling in world cricket.
CS: Batsmen nowadays find it very difficult to dominate or score runs against the wrist spinners. Your take.
SH: Not everyone is used to playing against wrist spinners. They can turn the ball on any type of wicket. They can generate the extra amount of bounce from any surface. So batsmen are finding it difficult to play against them. But the more you play, the better you adapt. and I’m sure the batsmen will adapt quickly.
CS: In Sunrisers Hyderabad, your spin bowling partner is Rashid Khan. How impressive is he as a spinner?
SH: Rashid is doing well for the team for a long time. It is indeed a big plus to have a bowler like him in our team. Batsmen find him difficult to read for his quick arm bowling action. Rashid is very talented and can win you matches.
CS: You have played for Kolkata Knight Riders for seven long years and this year you have been playing for a new team Sunrisers Hyderabad. What would be your goal?
SH: We won the title twice for KKR. I’ve some great memories attached to KKR in the seven-year association. But in IPL, it’s not in your hands as to which team you would be picked. We have to move on. Hopefully, I will be able to create some good memories with Sunrisers Hyderabad as well. My goal is to contribute with both bat and ball and play the role given to me by the team management.
CS: How optimistic are you on Bangladesh cricket team becoming one of the dominant teams in the cricketing world? What should be the roadmap?
SH: In limited-overs cricket, we are doing pretty well across the world. The more the number of matches we are playing, the more confident we are. In test cricket, we have not fulfilled the expectation. But I feel we have potential and self-belief. Only we need is proper execution on the field.
