He took 2-50 as Pakistan pummelled their way to 308 and then he hit 75 off 73 balls. Shakib now averages 32 with the bat in one-day internationals and 33 with the ball. For a 21-year-old who’s played 46 matches, that’s not half bad, even if not all the matches were against Test standard opposition.
He has done things against Test teams though, even if his solitary hundred was against Canada. He’s taken wickets against every Test side he’s played against bar Australia – and he’s only bowled five balls against them, so let’s not judge him too harshly.
He’s also hit fifties against Sri Lanka, against India, against England, against India again, against South Africa and now against Pakistan.
It’ll be sad when other people start writing about him. We won’t be special any more. We won’t be Shakib al Hasan’s sole, special, mental media outlet.
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