Shakib Al Hasan: Who is the Bangladesh tight-lipped enigma?

Shakib Al Hasan is many things to many people: One of the world’s leading all-rounders, a veteran of almost 400 international matches, the most recognisable face in his country and a tight-lipped enigma.

According to Morgan, former England World Cup-winning captain and Shakib’s Indian Premier League (IPL) team-mate, Bangladesh’s Test and T20 skipper is a world-class performer and the embodiment of a model professional.

“He’s been one of the best all-rounders in the world for a long time, he very rarely has bad days. Playing alongside him makes you love the guy even more. He’s extremely passionate about playing for Bangladesh,” said Morgan during the 2021 T20 World Cup, when England last encountered Bangladesh.

Shakib is clearly Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer; across formats he’s scored more than 13,400 runs, he’s bowled more deliveries (2,385) than anyone else in T20s and in ODIs he’s won more player of the match awards than India’s MS Dhoni, despite playing more than 100 fewer matches.

As he approaches his 36th birthday, he’s likely to be facing England in a series for the last time, with three one-day internationals starting on Wednesday, before three T20s from 9-14 March.

But his reluctance to talk about himself in any detail creates the sense of not really knowing who he is.

The model-professional image is however at odds with a two-decade career that has brought with it a long chargesheet of misdemeanours.

Indeed much of the cricket world beyond Bangladesh perceives Shakib to be damaged goods, forever tainted by his ban in 2019 for not reporting an approach by an alleged match fixer.

At home, his legions of adoring fans have been altogether more accepting of Shakib’s indiscretions and are prepared to forgive and forget.

Yet in recent times his on-field antics during domestic tournaments have become increasingly bizarre, stretching the patience of even the most loyal supporter. The sight of Bangladesh’s most-prized cricketer constantly bickering with umpires, in protest at apparent injustice, has done Shakib’s global image few favours.

His worst tantrum came during the 2021 edition of the unheralded Dhaka Premier League when, in a match between local rivals, he ripped stumps out of the ground in a fit of anger.

Warwickshire’s Jake Lintott understands Shakib better than most, having shared a dressing room with him in two franchise tournaments.

“We get on really well, when I first went to the Bangladesh Premier League, I’d heard a lot about Shakib because he’s always in the media, but as a team-mate he was brilliant with me,” he told BBC Sport.

“I enjoyed being around him, he’s passionate about the game, he’s very dedicated to the game, also he’s got a good sense of humour.”

It’s in ODIs that both Shakib and Bangladesh excel, indeed the last time they were beaten at home in a 50-over series was back in 2016 by England. Early qualification for this year’s World Cup, owing to a solid showing in the ongoing World Cup Super League, also proves the point.

Shakib’s ODI batting average has rarely dipped below 35 in the past decade, while his bowling average has resolutely remained under 30, making him the envy of the elite all-rounder club.

However, there is a growing suspicion that Shakib should be doing more during the most crucial moments in big matches, rather than allowing others to turn things with bat or ball.

Lintott believes that there’s little doubt about the greatness of Shakib’s all-round skill: “What goes under the radar sometimes is just how good he is, he’s able to hit the same length all the time, vary his spin and he’s such a canny batter too.”

Interestingly, Shakib has played just two seasons of county cricket at Worcestershire, when his career was taking shape.

It’s somewhat surprising that his versatility hasn’t given him more opportunities in England. It was a moderately successful time on the field at Worcester and an even more significant time off it, as he met his future wife, Umme, when they were staying at the same hotel.

It is generally assumed that Bangladesh have, for the past few years, been a team in transition, as the aging stars enter the final phase of their careers. It is less clear whether the continuing presence of Shakib on the team sheet has helped or hindered the progress of the next generation.

It might be coincidence but some of Bangladesh’s most impressive results in the past year or so, including a rare Test victory in New Zealand and an ODI series win in South Africa, were achieved without Shakib in the ranks. Although the statistics don’t reveal any discernible loss of form since his re-introduction to cricket in 2021 following his ban.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz, England’s tormenter the last time they visited Bangladesh, is the most likely to fill the spinning all-rounder spot once Shakib finally calls it a day.

Mehidy’s heroics during Bangladesh’s recent ODI series victory over India, where he won consecutive player of the match awards, suggest that he is ready to emerge from the shadows and take centre stage, a spot that has almost exclusively been reserved for Shakib.

Lintott remains a keen advocate of the positive impact that Shakib’s cricket brain brings to a team.

“He’s a competitive guy who always wants to win but at the same time he’s great at bringing the group together. He passed on loads of advice to me and he’s got so much experience. He’s very outside the box and not afraid to make big calls, he’s very forward thinking and open to new things.”

At this stage of his career, Shakib is the master of his own destiny. His desire to play at the top level, combined with his motivation to maintain fitness, which hasn’t always been wholehearted, will dictate how much longer he wears the Bengal Tiger badge on his chest.

In a country of more than 160 million people, the majority being fervent cricket fans, Shakib will always divide opinion.

Six white-ball matches against England won’t define Shakib’s career but they could cement the legacy of Bangladesh’s most enigmatic cricketer.