Shakib Al Hasan, one of the finest all-rounders of this generation, has been through some troubled times of late, but still has enough in him to round off a fine individual career with the ultimate team achievement at the T20 World Cup, writes Divy Tripathi.

Unlike works in art, which can be compartmentalised into specific genres – comedy, tragedy, drama etc. – and follow the logic of these genres, life’s uncertainty ensures that it creates its own trajectory, freely carving an unforeseen path.

Don Bradman, the greatest ever, missed out on a perfect average of 100 after being bowled by Eric Hollies for a duck in his final Test. The Indian team’s 2011 summer began with a World Cup win, but ended with the ignominy of a 0-4 Test series loss in England.

Then, there’s Shakib Al Hasan’s career. Whenever he calls it a day, he will be seen as the greatest Bangladeshi cricketer ever. The highest wicket-taker and third-highest run-scorer across formats for The Tigers, he has been Bangladesh’s best for a decade-and-a-half. In the world of fiction, he would’ve been the sword-wielding protagonist, who goes through several challenges but comes out as the victor at the end of each myth.

Of late, Shakib has had to face several trials, a number of which were of his own making. Yet, at the end of it all, he stands here, ready to represent his country in another World Cup.

What remains missing for Shakib though, is the big medal of an ICC trophy winner around his neck.

And, that is a situation the all-rounder wants to rectify.

Contrary to what many might postulate with respect to Bangladesh’s fortunes in this T20 World cup, they can be a force based on their recent form, the presence of spin-bowling all-rounders both old and new, as well as proven matchwinners like Mustafizur Rahman. However, the biggest resource at their disposal are the skills and brains of Shakib Al Hasan.

The all-rounder, who is on verge of breaking Lasith Malinga’s record for most wickets in T20Is, can walk into any international side based on one skill alone. His record in T20 World Cups stands at 567 runs to go with his 30 wickets.

Besides, he has made massive contributions in Bangladesh wins against major sides in the world tournaments throughout his playing career– be it the 53 against India in the 2007 ODI World Cup, the 4-34 in Bangladesh’s win over West Indies in the 2007 World T20, the 114 against New Zealand in the 2017 Champions Trophy and 75 & 1-50 against South Africa in the 2019 ODI World Cup.

At 34, he has enough experience to not only read the conditions but educate his national side on the same. In fact, this is exactly what he seeks to do with his IPL experience before Bangladesh start playing the qualifiers. His role in the side becomes even more important, given that senior batter Tamim Iqbal has decided against participating in this T20 World Cup. Along with Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, Shakib will form the triumvirate of experience for Bangladesh.

His international form in the format has been decent since his return from the ban, with 14 wickets – albeit a number of these were on helpful surfaces – and 196 runs to his name. But it is more than runs or wickets that make Shakib.

On the batting front, Shakib has a proven record of excelling in big tournaments, ending as the third-highest run-getter in the 2019 World Cup. In T20Is, he’s hit more fifty-plus scores than anyone from Bangladesh, and is someone who can play any role in the middle order. Of late, though, Shakib has been seen in the role of a top-order batter for his team – with no Tamim Iqbal this time, the presence of a player of his calibre high up in the order cannot be overplayed.

With the ball, he will surely cover four overs for the Tigers, with his crafty left-arm spin tailor-made to thrive on pitches in the Middle East (In Asia, he has picked up 68 wickets @ 21.01 – only Rashid Khan has picked more). Overall, his presence itself allows Bangladesh to have a flexible playing XI throughout the tournament.

He also becomes an extremely potent player when equipped with the notion that he has a point to prove.

Having been kept out of action in the UAE leg of the IPL, Shakib was finally given an opportunity against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai. He began his spell with a bang, running out the SRH skipper Kane Williamson off his own bowling. He ended with bowling figures of 1-20, which played a part in helping KKR keep SRH to 115.

Given the recent history of troubles, Shakib, a highly competitive cricketer, would indeed have a point to prove in terms of success on a global stage. He will always be remembered as one of the best of his time, but the legacy could get further enhanced if Bangladesh create history on November 14th.