New front page article : From quiet village of Magura to top of the world : An interview with Shakib Al Hasan

[Miraz]

From quiet village of Magura to top of the world : An interview with Shakib Al Hasan

Interview by Rabeed Imam

"Bangladesh have some amazing talent and I dream of the day when we'll all play to our potential and rule world cricket. Most of us are very young and we are just beginning to gel. It excites me to think what fantastic things can happen to Bangladesh cricket in 10 years". Shakib Al Hasan shares his thoughts about Bangladesh cricket and his rise from a lonely school boy in a remote village of Magura to the helm of world cricket.
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[Nadim]

awesome interview............................

[Miraz]

Many thanks to Rabeed Imam for the interview, had a great chat with him today. He sent us the interview to run it on the BanglaCricket front page.

[nycpro96]

jos interview!!!!

[MohammedC]

Sakib on Mash

I also remember that he would bat in the nets and balls would disappear but he just couldn't hit me and would get really pissed

Typical reaction by a fast bowler

When he struck me with the band I snapped back and gave him a taste of his own medicine. I got the beating of my life after that

[Ajfar]

nice read thnx for sharing

[Nafi]

Best interview!

[rashed411]

wow!!! now i kno, how he became one of the best cricketer in the world. Awesome interview.

[mijanur]

what a wonderful interview

[Razi]

He who can, and he who can't
Mohammad Isam, Daily Star

The Bangladesh-Zimbabwe series that ended this Friday will always be remembered fondly by one player and at the same time, pass off as yet another listless episode in the career of another more illustrious player.

On the eve of the crucial third one-dayer, Shakib Al Hasan received news that he has made it in the ICC Championship rankings climbing over the likes of Andrew Flintoff and Jacob Oram as the No. 1 all-rounder in one-day cricket.

He has done everything asked of not just an all-rounder but also a match-winner. He took over the lead spinner's role after the ICL defections and became the only spinner of note after Abdur Razzak's suspension. He kept insisting in press conferences that he rarely takes interest in his bowling but surely nothing comes about in cricket without hard work. And that confidence has exuded greatly in his batting.

He has flourished ever since he hammered a fighting half-century batting at number eight against New Zealand in Chittagong last year. He returned to his middle-order batting position and struck runs with ease. When a batsman can blast Muttiah Muralidaran through and over the covers consistently, you know he is a potent force to reckon with.

In the last six innings, Shakib has scored 223 runs with an average of 55.75. There is no doubt that Shakib is going through a purple patch but how many players in the Bangladesh team have ever been able to cash in during a good time?

The man who bats just above Shakib in the batting order Mohammad Ashraful has wasted yet another series.

It might just be three-odd innings for the captain but ask any international batsman and they can tell you better than Ashraful what three innings can do for a career. Just ask Tillekaratne Dilshan, the man who hung on to his Test spot, scored the runs and retained his one-day place and now scores as if he was never set aside. Three good knocks in Pakistan and he has pushed away any threat to his place in the team.

Ashraful has totalled just 12 (yes, twelve) runs in the one-day series against Zimbabwe after scoring 57 from the previous three in the tri-series. Think about it, just 69 runs from six innings on the back of a Test century. Say he wasn't in form even while scoring that century but wasn't it enough to bring him back among the runs? Well, not when you are Ashraful. It won't hurt him now, nobody is there to push him out of the team and his captaincy albeit controversial at times will keep him in place. Maybe he will begin his long golden run of form, from the home series against Pakistan but when he hangs up his boots and puts his willow aside, he will rue the days he simply drove uppishly for no reason; tried to experiment when all he needed to do was play straight and keep it simple.

It is hard to imagine anyone other than Shakib and his growing legion of fans remembering this series against Zimbabwe when one considers the volume of important and glamorous cricket coming up in 2009.

But what of Ashraful? Scanning through his records someday and stumbling upon the dreadful statistics of this series one might ask 'what does one do with lost opportunities'.

[Nocturnal]

fantastic interview. must read for everyone. thanks for sharing Miraz bhai.

[Zunaid]

Secondly, the now defunct HP Unit. Getting selected for the HP group was a blessing. I still think the HP Unit was the best thing to have happened to the development of Bangladesh cricket. We had the toughest possible training regime devised by Richard McInnes but even after back-breaking training we would practice on our own during the leisure time. We were that inspired. We had classes on leadership and there were speech sessions. It was a comprehensive life and cricket education package. I learned so much from it. I think I owe my fitness to the HP training.

Need I say more?

[One World]

Khube shunddor hoise, bangla hoile aaro moja paitam.
mind blowing stuff.

[bangla-red]

Lovely article.

[abz_786]

shakib man your to good
keep up the good work

[AsifTheManRahman]

Originally Posted by Zunaid
Need I say more?

Had the same thought when I first read the Bangla version (or a very similar one) in PA.

Anyways, good to know that Mash beat the living crap out of him. Not the fact that Shakib was on the receiving end but that Mash is such a bully. We need our fast bowling spearhead to be a bad boy. The clashing of the red cherry and the batsman's helmet is what I sacrifice sleep for!

[inspyr9]

If HP unit was that good how come BCB doesnt do it anymore or what Shakib is doing to convince BCB to start it again?

[Dhruvo]

Originally Posted by inspyr9
If HP unit was that good how come BCB doesnt do it anymore or what Shakib is doing to convince BCB to start it again?

I think because Richard Mac quit , he was a great coach.

[bdchamp20]

I saw this interview on TigerCricket through CricInfo, I wanted to post it but it looks like it has already been done.

Magnificent to say the least. What ambition and determination this boy has. I genuinely believe he will be the best player in the World at a point in his career. Great interview. I wish it was longer.

[BanCricFan]

"Secondly, the now defunct HP Unit. Getting selected for the HP group was a blessing. I still think the HP Unit was the best thing to have happened to the development of Bangladesh cricket. We had the toughest possible training regime devised by Richard McInnes but even after back-breaking training we would practice on our own during the leisure time. We were that inspired. We had classes on leadership and there were speech sessions. It was a comprehensive life and cricket education package. I learned so much from it. I think I owe my fitness to the HP training."

Ma sha allah! This lad is destined to be a great leader and a cricketer, in sha allah!

He is still far from being the finished article! Hope the fame doesn't get to his head and remains grounded. The only thing we ask of Shakib is that he keeps working hard...new heights will be achived and he will inspire thousands of budding cricketer world over!

PS- he needs to be more patient while batting and eschew high risk shots!

[BanCricFan]

Oh! A good and timely article by Isam as well. I equally share his sentiments about Ashraful.

[cricket_pagol]

Originally Posted by BanCricFan
"Secondly, the now defunct HP Unit. Getting selected for the HP group was a blessing. I still think the HP Unit was the best thing to have happened to the development of Bangladesh cricket. We had the toughest possible training regime devised by Richard McInnes but even after back-breaking training we would practice on our own during the leisure time. We were that inspired. We had classes on leadership and there were speech sessions. It was a comprehensive life and cricket education package. I learned so much from it. I think I owe my fitness to the HP training."

This paragraph that stood out... The high performance unit was a pipeline for the national team... now we are missing it.

You see I am a very competitive person. For example, when Rocky (Roqibul Hassan) got the man of the match award in the second ODI against Zimbabwe I kept telling myself 'Shakib, you moron, you could have been up there today. You blew your chance'. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy to see Roqibul, Mushfique, Mehrab (Hossain Jr.), Tamim (Iqbal) and the others performing and I am so proud of them because we have grown up as cricketers together. For me the cricket ground is a place to show my worth. I go out to field as if I'm entering the boxing ring and there's no place for the guy who comes second best there.

His attitude is very impressive!!! There is a reason why people who were groomed properly, stands out in the national team. Too bad Ashraful is not one of them.

[cricket_pagol]

Rabeed bhai, thank you so much for this excellent interview!!!

[akabir77]

Great Interview...

I think BCB should get over BNP AL thing and implement all the good things from all era...

I am sure Richard submitted some documents/plans for HP unit before BCB started it so they should just follow the BCB routine and get Mciness as Consultant as time to time basis as he is busy with AUST team now.

I hope BCB guys also have read the interview and it also snapped on some bodies head like ours...

This HP unit was the greates thing happened for BD cricket we should conitnue with it. Only in Bangladesh that a proven way would be shelved... please Miraz BHai talk with your high up connection and let them know that they should start with HP again...

[abu2abu]

A fantastic article. Very revealing. Rabeed Imam is a fine writer...