Criticism ‘not a very bad thing’, says Shakib

Shakib Al Hasan roared back to form with a masterful 64 not out of 46 deliveries and was key to Bangladesh’s crucial win against the Netherlands. 

Shakib, who had been horribly out of form especially with the bat, made a T20I half-century after almost a year and half but it came when Bangladesh really needed him to deliver.

The southpaw was heavily criticised after his poor outings against Sri Lanka and South Africa. 

It was the short ball that troubled him on both occasions and Shakib’s unsuccessful to pull Anrich Nortje irked former India cricketer Virender Sehwag who went on to say that the Bangladesh all-rounder is not an Adam Gilchrist or a Matthew Hayden and not good enough to negate a quality bowler. 

“I had realised during the last World Cup that his time was up,” Sehwag said after the South Africa game. “He should be ashamed and retire from T20Is.”

On Thursday, Shakib was not tested as much as the previous two matches by the short ball. The Dutch bowlers did bowl a few short balls but the bounce was not as much as in New York and the pace was not there either. 

Shakib quite convincingly pulled and cut the ball and showed his range against spin, using the back foot and skipping down the track, before finishing with two characteristic shots behind the wicket.

Shakib won the Player of the Match award for his heroics on a two-paced wicket. 

At the post-match press conference, he was asked about Sehwag’s comments and Shakib said the criticism is not such a bad thing.

“A player doesn’t play to answer [his critics]. His job is to contribute to the team. If he is not able to do that, there will be a lot of talk. I think it’s not such a bad thing,” he said.

With the ball, Shakib went wicketless but tidy, giving away just 29 runs in his four overs.