How Shakib al Hasan is changing Bangladesh’s game, if at all

How exactly will the fate of Bangladesh change is a little unpredictable to say but despite all the odds stacked against him, Bangladesh’s skipper exudes confidence, which is a given. It’s extremely rare to catch Shakib in the best of spirits, making it all the more surprising to find him in that frame of mind during the official press conference prior to Bangladesh’s departure for the Asia Cup, given everything he’s been through lately that has ultimately made him the cricket of Bangladesh’s eternal conundrum. Shakib has recently moved up to the top position of all-rounder in the ICC rankings

He placed a strong emphasis on progress over time throughout the 32-minute presser. A unique occurrence for someone living in this region of the world, though, was his sense of having no shame for his history. This was something far more profound. When questioned about whether he acted appropriately given his status as the most well-known cricketer in the nation, Shakib responded right away, “This is really difficult for me to assess.” The all-rounder barely showed any signs of embarrassment about his contentious agreement with Betwinner News, which figuratively jeopardized his international career.

He said: “This is how you (the media) began and how you ended. I have nothing more to say about it.” Shakib emphasized that he does not enjoy making decisions on his own, but he yet remained convinced that, in his capacity as captain, he will receive whatever he wants. It may be incredibly exhausting to captain a team like Bangladesh given all the distractions from the outside world and the influence of the board.

“If I say something I know nobody will refuse but I prefer taking a decision after discussing it with everyone. I don’t prefer something like I am doing it because it is my wish. What I want to say is that if I feel that I want it I feel that I will get it but that does not imply whatever I want things to have to happen that way,” Shakib said.

“In every country and everywhere else there is a different kind of challenge (for a captain). Here (in Bangladesh) there is one kind of challenge while in franchise cricket there might be another kind of challenge. Leading another nation or cricket board is a different challenge. It’s just that somewhere it is more and somewhere it is less and some can be handled and some are difficult but the challenge is everywhere no matter how big or how bad the cricket board is,” he said.

Shakib the skipper appeared to be very determined to help the nation succeed, though only time will tell how far they can go given their protracted lean period in the shortest format. However, one thing is certain: he went past the controversies that surrounded him to start a new chapter.