In Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh have a pair of contrasting all-rounders that, between them, pose a unique threat at the 2023 World Cup.
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The statement “Shakib Al Hasan enters the World Cup as the top-ranked all-rounder in men’s ODIs” has held true for four consecutive editions – 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023.
The tag of ‘legend’ is, thereefore, befitting of Shakib: there is little doubt over his place in the pantheon of the greatest ODI all-rounders of all time.
In ODIs, Shakib has batted in the top five 211 times in 228 innings, and his 7,398 runs have come at 37.55. He has also bowled roughly 8.3 overs a match for his 311 wickets, which have come at 29.13.
Sanath Jayasuriya and Shahid Afridi have done the 7,000 run-300 wicket double as well, but neither averages even 33 with the bat or below 34 with the ball. If Shakib’s strike rate (82) is the lowest of the three, his economy (4.43) is the best.
Through Shakib’s career, Bangladesh have challenged the best ODI sides. At home, they had an undefeated streak in bilateral series between 2016 and 2023, but there was also a top-eight finish at the 2015 World Cup, a top-four entry at the 2017 Champions Trophy, a couple of Asia Cup final appearances, and three wins at the 2019 World Cup.
At the core of their success has been Shakib, with averages of 43.40 with the bat and 32.07 with the ball in multi-national tournaments. He has done it time and again, but at thirty-six, he is almost certainly playing his last World Cup.
This time, however, he is not going to be alone, for Bangladesh have a second all-rounder. Since the start of 2022, Mehidy Hasan Miraz has the most wickets (39, at 29.89) and the third-best batting average (37.61 for his 677 runs) for his side.
Mehidy’s 94 career wickets might not seem like much, but this is Bangladesh, where the best spinners all bowl with the left arm. Of their right-arm spinners with a sub-40 average, Sohag Gazi’s 22 wickets are the most. In Test cricket, Mehidy’s 151 wickets are nearly twice as many as any of his right-arm compatriot’s – and we are including pacers here.
Mehidy is an atypical Bangladeshi cricketer even without taking his batting into consideration. When he was named the Player of the Tournament at the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, it was as much for his 12 wickets at 17.67 as it was for his 242 runs at 60.50.
Until the end of 2021, however, Bangladesh made little use of his batting abilities. His 426 runs had come at only 15.21, but that was largely because his batted in the top six only twice in 32 matches.
The turnaround began at Chattogram in early 2022, when he walked out in the 12th over. He was still batting at No.8, but on that day Afghanistan had reduced Bangladesh to 45-6. His 81 not out helped Bangladesh chase 216 that day.
There was still no immediate promotion, but Mehidy played two key cameos when Bangladesh pulled off a famous series win in South Africa. Back home against India, he played two unbeaten innings of 38 and 100 in three days to help Bangladesh win a series against India.
At the Asia Cup, Bangladesh found themselves without Tamim Iqbal and, for the early matches, Litton Das, and were forced to pick both openers from the nearly-out-of-contention Anamul Haque and the inexperienced Mohammad Naim and Tanzid Hasan. In the end, they paired Naim with Mehidy.
In 2022, Bangladesh had toyed with the idea of opening batting with Mehidy in T20Is, first at the Asia Cup, then in New Zealand. Now, they have decided to extend that to ODIs. And Mehidy responded with 112 against Afghanistan before retiring with cramps.
Since then, he has opened twice more, and has not batted outside the top five. Against Afghanistan at the World Cup match in Dharamsala, Bangladesh sent him at No.3. He returned with 57.
Shakib would have been a certainty in the XI even if he had neither led the side nor bowled. Mehidy might not have fulfilled that criterion, but not every team has a full-time bowler batting that high in the order.
Mehidy’s rise as a batter has given Bangladesh a unique advantage ahead of the World Cup, for they have two players who can bat inside the top five and bowl ten overs each. That Bangladesh’s greatest and latest all-round superstars are spinners in a tournament held in India compounds that advantage, and that they bat and bowl with opposite arms adds another layer too.
Bangladesh’s two frontline spinners are already one more than Australia’s count. They can now play four fast bowlers, a luxury India or England cannot afford despite having options in the squad. They can also, unlike South Africa, extend their batting line-up up to eight and still play five bowlers who can bowl ten overs each.
Playing both Mehidy and Shakib will enable Bangladesh to pick three, even four, from their recently developed arsenal of fast bowlers; or the extra batter to cover for the out-of-form Litton Das; or the extra spinner, Nasum Ahmed; or even another spin-bowling all-rounder, Mahedi Hasan.
As individuals they are dangerous, but when performing in unison, the pair is more than the sum of the parts.
