adminTHERE is something maddening about playing against Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan in a high-pressure cricket game. He gives you nothing. No reactions. No window into his thoughts. No hope. Shakib’s stony façade is his first line of defence, and then the rest of him works in calculative movements.
His unbeaten 96 against Zimbabwe in the second ODI at Harare Sports Club on Sunday had all those qualities. There’s calmness on the outside, and deep wells of belief in his own ability on the inside. Combining the two, he reads the opposition — a batter, bowler or fielder — better than most around him.
Shakib’s ability to transfer pressure back onto the opponent is subtle, but effective. For example, whenever he completes one, two or three runs, he always pretends that he could have had more. Fielders end up rushing, panicking, making mistakes. Same for a bowler. Shakib, meanwhile, attacks and then retreats. He attacks and then retreats and then wins.
Zimbabwe may have thought that they had the second ODI in the bag when Bangladesh were 173 for 7 in the 39th over, chasing 241 runs. Shakib was unbeaten on 63, and Mohammad Saifuddin was the last recognised batter.
Shakib soaked up and deflected so much of the pressure that his batting partner was obligated to support the match-winner.
After finishing the chase with a finely cut boundary in the final over, Shakib said he needed to make some mental adjustments ahead of this game. It was a rare peek into a man known for being utterly inscrutable. — ESPNCricinfo
Online Reporter