Shakib Al Hasan’s decision to skip the Sri Lanka Tests in order to be ready for the IPL has already resulted in massive controversy.
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“With great power comes great responsibility.” In the case of cricket, it can be with great fame comes great caution. In other words, fame depends upon the deeds of the players. Shakib Al Hasan’s fame seems to have made him a target for controversy. In the last couple of years, Shakib was in the news for obscene gestures, corrupt practices, and now, a question on his commitment to Bangladesh.
In England, the Indian Premier League has led to sharp divisions and debates of club over country. The sheer volume of money involved in the IPL makes players choose club over country. Some want to devote themselves to both country and club with greater conditions. Others are above the monetary situation and play for country. In the case of Shakib in 2021, the country vs club debate has taken an ugly twist.
The star all-rounders’ ‘statement’ that he wanted to skip Tests in Sri Lanka for the IPL, where he will play for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2021, has seen the latest battle lines drawn between Shakib and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Shakib has accused the Board of misinformation, while the Board is considering revoking the NOC (No Objection Certificate) to Shakib to play the IPL.
The potential revoking of the NOC will lead to a bitter battle. Shakib is not part of the New Zealand series as he is on paternity leave. After been banned for one year for failing to report corrupt approaches, Shakib’s performances against the West Indies showed his immense worth.
The Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka has been a hot potato for all ever since it was in the Future Tours Program. The tour was initially postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. On resumption, Bangladesh’s players refused to go into hard quarantine and the tour was scheduled during IPL.
The scheduling of the tour in this period was the only window available, which clashed with the IPL. With both teams not in contention for the ICC World Test Championship final, a series like this gave both sides nothing. An ODI series in May, especially with 2021 being a Twenty20 year, further diminishes the value.
If one looks at the background of Shakib’s statement, then it does deserve merit. Shakib can star in the IPL and ensure he has his Twenty20 preparations in full flow. However, with no other Bangladesh player featuring in the IPL and with not many series scheduled for Bangladesh until the Twenty20 World Cup, Shakib not playing for Bangladesh and only the IPL might diminish the team’s value as a whole.
Cricket is not a one-man sport. Shakib alone cannot transform the fortunes of Bangladesh. He has done it admirably for close to 14 years, managing 3930 runs at an average of close to 40 but with 210 wickets with a five-wicket haul against all but one of the 10 Test playing nations that Bangladesh have played against. In ODIs, he was the star of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup for his brilliant all-round exploits. His 6436 runs at an average of 38 with 266 wickets make him an elite allrounder. But, on this occasion, priorities for Shakib seemed to have hit a rough patch.
Views expressed by the author are personal and do not reflect the views of the organization.
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