Shakib Shakin it UP
What happens when one of your favorite cricketers goes up against another?
Or rather, lets say one of the flavors of the season comes up against another flavor of the season?
There are bound to be fireworks, and one is going to come out on top.
There will be winners and there will be losers.
There will be heroes and there will be villians.
No villians or Heroes here. I'm having my Heroes withdrawals since it went on a 3 week break.
There was a Hero though, down at the Bangla stadium in Bangladesh.
The same Hero I have been talking about over at the BCC!
Shakib!
The Lankans experienced some SHAKIBBING, and that too not for the first time.
I'm telling you this kid is quite something.
He's had a phenomenol 2008 and 2009 promises to be even more so.
I reckon that if Bangladesh are to one day become a force in international cricket, Shakib Al Hasan will be at the forefront of that force.
Ashraful, Rahim, Iqbal, and Murtaza won't be far behind, but this 21 year old will be the one to watch out for.
If you have been busy following the global media coverage of the Warners and the Ryders, and the Pietersens and the Haydens, make sure you go back and catch up on some SHAKIBBING.
And some more.
In case you've missed it, I'll take you on a quick trip down memory lane.
It all started with two magnificent ODI innings of 75 and 108 against Pakistan in April last year. The first one almost helped Bangladesh chase down 308.
He seems to have a thing for those big run chases.
Bowling figures: 2-50 and 1-34.
Then came that test match against New Zealand in October.
7-36 to rock the kiwis and an innings of 71 to give them a difficult target, which the Kiwis managed with just 3 wickets left.
It was another nearly effort by Shakib.
He's got the Bangladeshis close a number of times, soon he'll be closing the deal for them too.
A month later was a tour down to South Africa.
Two innings losses for Bangladesh against the best test side of 2008, but Shakib, with 5-130 and 6-99 showed that that 7 wasn't a fluke.
On the same tour, Shakib had shown South Africa what he was capable of in the 1st ODI of the series. He was the pick of the bowlers with 2-48 and yet again got Bangladesh close to the target with a knock of 51.
He doesn't disappoint this kid.
Alright, so he doesn't finish the job, but I'm telling you a few more years and he will be what Aravinda De Silva was for Sri Lanka.
Pakistan done, New Zealand done, South Africa done.
Now it was Sri Lanka's turn.
First he bundled Jayawardene, King Sanga and Co. for below 300 with yet another 5 wicket haul, his 4th in as many months.
Then he gave them a scare with a beautious 96 that got Bangladesh to within a 100 runs of an impossible 4th innings target of 521.
The next test against the Lankans was a more sedate one but Shakib still managed a 4 wicket haul in the 1st innings and a knock of 46 in the 2nd.
Then the year turned and the Zimbabwe joined the two Asians for a tri-series.
They must have heard of Shakib and the ing.
Surely they must have.
And they got it too.
3-23 and an innings of 52.
Bangladesh though, still not over the winning line.
Today, however, was different.
Sri Lanka bowled out for 147 without a single wicket to Shakib - shocking!
Bangladesh, with an easy target to chase, down at 11-3 - not shocking!
Who do you call?
Shakib ofcourse!
From 11-3, it took Shakib a mere 20 overs to smash an unbeaten 92 and take Bangladesh to victory and to the final of the tri-series.
I'm telling you, with time this would be the norm.
Shakib at the forefront of every Bangla victory.
Wait and Watch!
Or rather, lets say one of the flavors of the season comes up against another flavor of the season?
There are bound to be fireworks, and one is going to come out on top.
There will be winners and there will be losers.
There will be heroes and there will be villians.
No villians or Heroes here. I'm having my Heroes withdrawals since it went on a 3 week break.
There was a Hero though, down at the Bangla stadium in Bangladesh.
The same Hero I have been talking about over at the BCC!
Shakib!
The Lankans experienced some SHAKIBBING, and that too not for the first time.
I'm telling you this kid is quite something.
He's had a phenomenol 2008 and 2009 promises to be even more so.
I reckon that if Bangladesh are to one day become a force in international cricket, Shakib Al Hasan will be at the forefront of that force.
Ashraful, Rahim, Iqbal, and Murtaza won't be far behind, but this 21 year old will be the one to watch out for.
If you have been busy following the global media coverage of the Warners and the Ryders, and the Pietersens and the Haydens, make sure you go back and catch up on some SHAKIBBING.
And some more.
In case you've missed it, I'll take you on a quick trip down memory lane.
It all started with two magnificent ODI innings of 75 and 108 against Pakistan in April last year. The first one almost helped Bangladesh chase down 308.
He seems to have a thing for those big run chases.
Bowling figures: 2-50 and 1-34.
Then came that test match against New Zealand in October.
7-36 to rock the kiwis and an innings of 71 to give them a difficult target, which the Kiwis managed with just 3 wickets left.
It was another nearly effort by Shakib.
He's got the Bangladeshis close a number of times, soon he'll be closing the deal for them too.
A month later was a tour down to South Africa.
Two innings losses for Bangladesh against the best test side of 2008, but Shakib, with 5-130 and 6-99 showed that that 7 wasn't a fluke.
On the same tour, Shakib had shown South Africa what he was capable of in the 1st ODI of the series. He was the pick of the bowlers with 2-48 and yet again got Bangladesh close to the target with a knock of 51.
He doesn't disappoint this kid.
Alright, so he doesn't finish the job, but I'm telling you a few more years and he will be what Aravinda De Silva was for Sri Lanka.
Pakistan done, New Zealand done, South Africa done.
Now it was Sri Lanka's turn.
First he bundled Jayawardene, King Sanga and Co. for below 300 with yet another 5 wicket haul, his 4th in as many months.
Then he gave them a scare with a beautious 96 that got Bangladesh to within a 100 runs of an impossible 4th innings target of 521.
The next test against the Lankans was a more sedate one but Shakib still managed a 4 wicket haul in the 1st innings and a knock of 46 in the 2nd.
Then the year turned and the Zimbabwe joined the two Asians for a tri-series.
They must have heard of Shakib and the ing.
Surely they must have.
And they got it too.
3-23 and an innings of 52.
Bangladesh though, still not over the winning line.
Today, however, was different.
Sri Lanka bowled out for 147 without a single wicket to Shakib - shocking!
Bangladesh, with an easy target to chase, down at 11-3 - not shocking!
Who do you call?
Shakib ofcourse!
From 11-3, it took Shakib a mere 20 overs to smash an unbeaten 92 and take Bangladesh to victory and to the final of the tri-series.
I'm telling you, with time this would be the norm.
Shakib at the forefront of every Bangla victory.
Wait and Watch!
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Q
As always your post was good to read.
I just saw the highlights of his innings this guy is good.
Bangladesh is developing some tooth.
As usual you've put more effort than the player. Kudos.
Yesterday i sure missed BCC! online. Bet you did too. There would've been more Shakibbing for sure. cheers.
Thanks Wasim.
This guy pretty damn good! ;-)
Thanks NC..
And yes I totally missed BCC! I kept trying and trying as Shakib kept scoring and scoring ;-)
Though am yet to see him in action, this lad has been consistently pulling Bangladesh in the last 1 year.
A genuine players from their ranks that could easily slot in any of the bigger cricketing teams.
Now if a few more players come to the party, Bangladesh will then do a Sri Lanka and automatically shove a few coconuts to the ones constantly bulling them into not accepting them in this league.
Scorps, the last time the WC happened in the subcontinent, a minnow turned champion.. in 2 years time its in the subcontinent again...