Shakib shines amid youngsters surge in West Indies series
Plenty to take for Tigers as they look like getting combination right for WC
Sports Reporter, Dhaka
Bangladeshs aspiration to complete a tour sweep for the first time against any team in a series, comprised with all three formats of the cricket might be ruined after West Indies won the bad-tempered third T20 to seal the T20 series by 2-1 but they had something to cheer up.
They whitewashed West Indies in two-match Test series to take a revenge of their humiliating whitewash back in Caribbean Islam in last July and then won the ODI series by 2-1. It was an expected result given they played in the comfort of home condition. However what would please Bangladesh that the performance of the players other than the Big Five who as usually continued making impact.
Ahead of the series, Bangladeshs main problem was their top order, which showed solidity at least in the ODI and T20 series. Bangladeshi batsmens performance in the Test series was not noteworthy and the bowlers delivered the victory in rage turner, as the pitch was prepared to take the advantage of home condition.
However given Bangladesh are in search of a right combination for the 2019 ICC World Cup, for them the ODI series was important and to some extent the T20 series also. In those two series, most of the players dazzled around captain Shakib Al Hasan who was the linchpin of the side whatever in batting or bowling.
The most satisfactory thing was the form of Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar, the two top order batsmen who could destroy any bowling line on their day. Their inconsistency was the big problem for them Bangladesh but in the series against Zimbabwe and West Indies they showed the glimpse of the consistency that required to help the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan play with free mindset.
Liton was the second highest run getter behind Shai Hope in T20 series while Soumya was the fourth highest run-getter behind Shai Hope, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim in ODI series. Liton also blitzed occasionally in ODI series while Soumya Sarkar also gave some whirlwind start in T20 series, giving an indication that as the time progresses and if the team management backs them, they could flourish more by the time when World Cup starts.
In bowling front, off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraj continued his good form and showed that he could be bowling leader in absence of Shakib Al Hasan. After having a good Test series, Mehidy was the highest wicket-taker in ODI series though couldnt live up to the expectation in T20 series. Fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman seemed to have got his mozo back in shorter version format.
Such was the other players performance is that coach Steve Rhodes urged the media that they shouldnt always highlight the Big Five. Popularly dubbed as Big Five or Fab FiveMashrafe Bin Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah Riyad also stood tall in clinching the series but Rhodes insisted that others performance shouldnt be go unnoticed.
I think that its really important also in the media that we understand that were a team of 11 players and a squad of 15, 16. I think that will also take a bit of pressure off our younger players, and also senior players. Hold on, were not five, were 11 or even 15 or 20. So I think the good thing for Bangladesh though is that we are starting to get some depth and that will help us moving forward, Rhodes said,
However amid the youngsters surge, one man continues making, breaking record and he is none other than Shakib Al Hasan. The ace all-rounder was adjudged the man of the series in T20 series, making it 13th to be best in the series in any three formats of the cricket. He played 117 series so far and now climbed up to fourth place amongst all players in the world in this kind of feat, which is led by Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar. The batting maestro was adjudged series best 20 times, playing 183 series so far. Virat Kohli is in second place with 15 times best, playing just 103 series. Jacques Kallis got it 15 times also but played 148 series while Sanath Jayasuirya leveled with Shakib with 13 times but he played 176 series, compared to Shakibs 117.
