Tiger444
September 19, 2010, 07:35 PM
Shakib returns happy
County cricket's Division Two may not have given the world's No. 1 all-rounder the jitters, but it was the isolation from friends and family for almost two months in West Midlands England that unnerved Shakib Al Hasan. But upon his return to Dhaka yesterday, he said it was not as bad as he first thought.
"I knew it would not be easy to get acquainted in such unfamiliar surroundings, but it wasn't that bad either," said Shakib.
He arrived in Worcester hastily from Glasgow on July 20 and had got into the swing of things as a county match was lined up on the next day. Getting to know the teammates must have taken place in the middle as the 23-year-old made his debut.
But thankfully, during the course of his stay in England, Shakib made many friends.
"Everyone helped me out, be it the player at the club or the expatriates," he said. It also helps to make friends faster when one is successful and from the first day of his stint with Worcestershire, Shakib carried out his duties quite well.
In his debut game, against Derbyshire, he made a quickfire 90 and later picked up three wickets in the drawn game.
After a blip at Northamptonshire, Shakib made his first major impact with the ball with a five-wicket haul against Gloucestershire. In the next four-day game, Shakib took a six-for against Surrey and then on Eid Day in the United Kingdom, the left-arm spinner made headlines with figures of 7-32 against Middlesex that produced an improbable win for his team.
"It was on the day of Eid and I took seven wickets. It definitely was a great feeling," said the soft-spoken Shakib.
While his bat did little service, Shakib's left-arm spin was key to Worcestershire's promotion to the Division One of the county championship. Spinners from the sub-continent have always been a major hit with counties and Shakib has continued the tradition, though he said he liked what he saw in England's domestic game.
"At least two foreign players are there and the others are also good. Actually, county cricket is not too far away from international standard," he said.
And Shakib's figures -- 35 wickets and 358 runs from eight games -- would also help other players from the country to play the oldest first-class competition in the world. "If not a lot of players, at least one would certainly be playing there next year," Shakib confirmed.
He would be joining the Tigers' camp for the New Zealand series on September 26 and Shakib said he felt confident in the team ahead of the five matches.
"We have a balanced side and I hope we do well," said Shakib.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=155157
County cricket's Division Two may not have given the world's No. 1 all-rounder the jitters, but it was the isolation from friends and family for almost two months in West Midlands England that unnerved Shakib Al Hasan. But upon his return to Dhaka yesterday, he said it was not as bad as he first thought.
"I knew it would not be easy to get acquainted in such unfamiliar surroundings, but it wasn't that bad either," said Shakib.
He arrived in Worcester hastily from Glasgow on July 20 and had got into the swing of things as a county match was lined up on the next day. Getting to know the teammates must have taken place in the middle as the 23-year-old made his debut.
But thankfully, during the course of his stay in England, Shakib made many friends.
"Everyone helped me out, be it the player at the club or the expatriates," he said. It also helps to make friends faster when one is successful and from the first day of his stint with Worcestershire, Shakib carried out his duties quite well.
In his debut game, against Derbyshire, he made a quickfire 90 and later picked up three wickets in the drawn game.
After a blip at Northamptonshire, Shakib made his first major impact with the ball with a five-wicket haul against Gloucestershire. In the next four-day game, Shakib took a six-for against Surrey and then on Eid Day in the United Kingdom, the left-arm spinner made headlines with figures of 7-32 against Middlesex that produced an improbable win for his team.
"It was on the day of Eid and I took seven wickets. It definitely was a great feeling," said the soft-spoken Shakib.
While his bat did little service, Shakib's left-arm spin was key to Worcestershire's promotion to the Division One of the county championship. Spinners from the sub-continent have always been a major hit with counties and Shakib has continued the tradition, though he said he liked what he saw in England's domestic game.
"At least two foreign players are there and the others are also good. Actually, county cricket is not too far away from international standard," he said.
And Shakib's figures -- 35 wickets and 358 runs from eight games -- would also help other players from the country to play the oldest first-class competition in the world. "If not a lot of players, at least one would certainly be playing there next year," Shakib confirmed.
He would be joining the Tigers' camp for the New Zealand series on September 26 and Shakib said he felt confident in the team ahead of the five matches.
"We have a balanced side and I hope we do well," said Shakib.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=155157