Broken Cricket Dreams Logo

Bangladesh Vs Sri Lanka – T20 World Cup 2021 Match #15 Quick Review! Asalanka, Bangladesh’s Poor Decisions Push the Game Lanka’s Way In a High Scoring Thriller

Bangladesh Vs Sri Lanka Quick Review – Finally a high scoring run chase! Sri Lanka win 4 in 4 as Bangladesh need to reflect on certain bowling decisions.

Inspiring effort from Sri Lanka.

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: Bangladesh Vs Sri Lanka Video Highlights

Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field first.

Venue: Sharjah International Stadium, Sharjah, UAE

Umpires: Adrian Holdstock & Joel Wilson

What Actually Happened

  • Winner: England won by 5 wickets
  • Scores: Bangladesh 171/4England 172/5
  • Player of the Match: Charith Asalanka 80* (49)
  • Best Figures
    • Chamika Karunaratne (3-0-12-1)
    • Shakib Al Hasan (3-0-17-2)
  • Most Runs
    • Mohammad Naim – 62 (52), Mushfiqur Rahim – 57* (37)
    • Charith Asalanka 80* (49), Bhanuka Rajapaksa – 53 (31)

Moments of The Day: Batting Performances Mark High Scoring Day

  • Mohammad Naim continued his good form as he anchored the innings till the 16th over. It was Mushfiqur Rahim’s spectacular 57* that ensured Bangladesh went up to 171. The way he swept Hasaranga meant he only got 3 overs to bowl. After a poor run of form, good signs for Bangladesh that Rahim is back.
  • Sri Lanka had a similar story. Just like Rahim, birthday boy Rajapaksa kept the required rate in check during the middle overs, but the story of day was of Charith Asalanka—not only did he anchor the innings, he stayed till the end to see Sri Lanka get home.
  • Decision to hold Shakib & Fizz back contributed to Bangladesh’s loss. For the first 8 overs, it was anybody’s game. Then came in Shakib Al Hasan. Nissanka & Fernando both bowled throughout the gate. Bangladesh felt comfortable. Shakib still had 2 overs left. Instead of going for the jugular, two overs of Mahmudullah and one over from Afif Hossain brought Sri Lanka back into the game due to the presence of left handers. Finally, a 22-over from Saifuddin killed the chase. By the time Fizz and Shakib returned, SL only needed 24 of 24.

Lanka won by an over to spare and Shakib, higest wicket taker of the tournament so far, ended with only 3 overs…

Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Liton Das

Liton Das had a poor day altogether.

16 (16), exchanged words with Lahiru Kumara after his dismissal, and dropped catches of both Asalanka and Rajapaksa, which were crucial moments in a close game.

Also Read: Nicholas Pooran, A Story of Pain, Hope, & Inspiration: The Next Big Thing of West Indies & World Cricket

T20 World Cup Points Table, Stat Alert

No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Highest Run Scorer, Highest Wicket Taker, Most Catches, and Most Dismissals. We will keep updating it in every article!

  • Mohommad Naim – 126 runs (Bangladesh, 3 Matches)
  • Shakib Al Hasan – 11 wickets (Bangladesh, 4 Matches)
  • Calum MacLeod, Jatinder Singh (Scotland/Oman, 3 Matches) – 5 catches
  • Nurul Hasan (Bangladesh) – 5 dismissals

Group 1 Table

TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. England11002+ 3.970
2. Sri Lanka11002+ 0.583
3. Australia11002+ 0.253
4. South Africa10100– 0.253
5. Bangladesh10100– 0.583
6. West Indies10100– 3.970
T20 World Cup 2021 Group 1 Points Table

Group 2 Table

TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Afghanistan11002+ 6.500
2. Pakistan11002+ 0.973
3. India10100– 0.973
4. Scotland10100– 6.500
5. Namibia
6. New Zealand
T20 World Cup 2021 Group 2 Points Table

Also, if you have not yet read our T20 World Cup Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:

  1. A Review – Group A 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka
  2. B Review – Group B 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland
  3. 1 Review – Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies
  4. 2 Review – Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 10/26/2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Home » Shakib Al Hasan

Image Courtesy: Graphic (original work), Kyle Coetzer – Photo by Francois Nel-ICC/ICC via Getty Images, Mahmudullah – Photo by Mike Hewitt-ICC/ICC via Getty Images

Scotland Vs Bangladesh – T20 World Cup 2021 Match #2 Quick Review! Chris Greaves Shines as Bangladesh Stunned In Opener

Scotland Vs Bangladesh Quick Review – Scotland recover from precarious position and win against the much-fancied Bangladesh side.

Memorable victory for the Scottish team. Much to ponder for Bangladesh.

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: Scotland Vs Bangladesh Video Highlights

Toss: Bangladesh won the toss and chose to field first.

Venue: Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Muscat

Umpires: Ahsan Raza & Richard Kettleborough

What Actually Happened

  • Winner: Scotland won by 6 runs
  • Scores: Scotland 140/9Bangladesh 134/7
  • Player of the Match: Chris Greaves
  • Best Figures
    • Mahedi Hasan – 3/19
    • Brad Wheal – 3/24
  • Most Runs
    • Chris Graves – 45 (28)
    • Mushfiqur Rahim – 38 (36)

Moments of The Day: Bangladesh’s Spinners, Chris Greaves, and MacLeod’s Catching Makes It Scotland’s Day

  • Bangladesh Spinners Turn The Screws – George Munsey and Matthew Cross had taken Scotland up to 45/1 in 7 overs after the early wicket of their captain. Within the next 5 overs, Bangladesh took full control with the Mahedi Hasan-Shakib al Hasan duo. Scotland
  • Chris Greaves and Mark Watts Manifest Recovery of the Ages – Switch hits, smart running, and with proper cricketing shots, the Greaves-Watts partnership of 51 (34) gave Scotland belief. Watts departed by Greaves continued on his merry way to 45. Add Safyaan Sharif’s 8* (2) including a mighty six, Scotland got much needed momentum.
  • Calum MacLeod Catches Three Out of Thin Air – Although tight all-round bowling was the reason Bangladesh could not chase the score, equally as important was Calum MacLeod’s role as a boundary rider. Important catches of Shakib, Mahmudullah, and Nurul Hasan was the difference between a win or loss. One drop, and Bangladesh close that six run margin. However, MacLeod’s brilliance made sure that did not happen.
  • Honorable Mention: There Is Swing at the T20 World Cup! Taskin, Saifuddin, Brad Wheal, & Josh Davey all found some hints of swing

Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: The Musfiq-Shakib Partnership

  • Mushfiqur Rahim has been one of the best wicketkeeper-batters over the past decade, and Shakib Al Hasan is undoubtedly one of the greatest all-rounders of all time (and now the highest wicket taker in T20Is). However, today’s loss might be attributed to their slow partnership – 47 (46) recovery was done, but could not carry on. 38 (36) & a painful 20 (28) does not do justice to their talents and experience.

Also Read: Why Shakib And Co are the True Fab 5 of this Era

Tweets of the Day

Scotland have had their struggles at the international level, but are slowly competing consistently against the best in the world.

T20 World Cup Points Table, Stat Alert

No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Highest Run Scorer, Highest Wicket Taker, Most Catches, and Most Dismissals. We will keep updating it in every article!

  • Jatinder Singh – 73* runs (Oman, 1 Match)
  • Zeeshan Mahmood – 4 wickets (Oman, 1 Match)
  • Calum MacLeod (Scotland, 1 Match) – 3 catches

Group B Table

TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Oman11002+ 3.135
2. Scotland11002+ 0.300
3. Bangladesh10100– 0.300
4. Papua New Guinea10100– 3.135
T20 World Cup 2021 Points Table

Also, if you have not yet read our T20 World Cup Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:

  1. A Review – Group A 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka
  2. B Review – Group B 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland
  3. 1 Review – Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies
  4. 2 Review – Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 10/17/2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Home » Shakib Al Hasan

Image Courtesy: Graphic (original work), Kyle Coetzer – Photo by Francois Nel-ICC/ICC via Getty Images, Mahmudullah – Photo by Mike Hewitt-ICC/ICC via Getty Images

IPL 2021 Kolkata Knight Riders Preview: Can Shakib & Captain Morgan Turn KKR’s Fate?

Time for Kolkata Knight Riders Preview.

If you were a Kolkata Knight Riders supporter last year (like I was), it was a very tough season to follow. A great squad, but did not get going AT ALL.

New IPL edition, different fate for KKR? With Harbhajan Singh and Shakib Al Hasan, the steal of the auction, can KKR spin to the title? Will they make amends this year and not make too many changes?

What do you think? Does KKR have a shot? Here are my thoughts.

Also Read: IPL 2021 Auctions Review, KKR All Time XI

IPL History

2012, 2014 – (Champions), 2017, 2018 – (3rd), 2011, 2016 – (4th)

How Did They Do Last Year?

5th. Two seasons in a row, KKR have lost out on net run-rate. Never convincing last year, managed to pull victory out of jaws of defeat.

  • The much hyped finishing trio of Dinesh Karthik-Eoin Morgan-Andre Russell did not materialize. Brendon McCullum’s infamous notebook & lack of clarity on their position contributed to the underwhelming year. Oh and the DK-Morgan captaincy switch mid-tournament did not help at all.
  • The story of the year was Varun Chakravarthy. An architect whose cricket dreams were broken finally found fame with match winning performances. He was even selected for an international cap, but fitness issues kept him back.

Injury News

Gurkeerat Singh Mann replaces Rinku Singh, who suffered a knee injury. Captain Eoin Morgan also suffered a split webbing in the India vs England series, but is hopeful to be ready by the first match.

Complete Kolkata Knight Riders Squad

Batsman: Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, , Rahul Tripathi

WK: Sheldon Jackson, Dinesh Karthik

Fast Medium: Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Vaibhav Arora

Spinners: Harbhajan Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

All-Rounders: Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pawan Negi, Venkatesh Iyer

Overseas: Eoin Morgan*, Pat Cummins, Ben Cutting, Lockie Ferguson, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Tim Seifert (WK), Shakib Al Hasan

Withdrawn: Rinku Singh (Injured)

Predicted KKR XI

  1. Shubman Gill, 2. Rahul Tripathi/Karun Nair, 3. Nitish Rana, 4. Shakib Al Hasan5. Dinesh Karthik (WK), 6. Eoin Morgan (C), 7. Andre Russell/ Ben Cutting8. Pat Cummins/ Lockie Ferguson, 9. Kamlesh Nagarkoti/Pawan Negi, 10.Varun Chakravarthy, 11. Prasidh Krishna

Watch Out For

  • Prasidh Krishna. An international cap can definitely raise confidence of a player. Will we see a Prasidh Krishna 2.0 in IPL 2021? With a lack of Indian fast bowlers in the squad, he has to carry the burden on his shoulders.
  • With their first three games in Chennai, don’t be surprised if KKR picks the experienced Harbhajan SinghShakib Al Hasan instead of pace duo of Pat Cummins-Lockie Ferguson. If Shakib can occupy a spot in the top order, then the finishing strength of KKR can finally showcase their abilities.
  • Can KKR manage to play both Russell and Ben Cutting, especially at Bangalore? With so many international stars in the line up, Ben Cutting might not make everybody’s foreign 4, but can hit the ball a long, long way.

Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Knight Riders?

  • Plain & Simple. Get the XI right, go to the qualifiers. Keep shuffling and create a ‘fluid middle order, ‘ and get stuck in the middle of the points table.
  • Maybe one way to go is to have different XIs per venue. Have a spin-filled lineup for Chennai (Pawan Negi, Varun, Kuldeep, Harbhajan, Shakib the options) and pack it with pace in Mumbai (Cummins, Lockie, Ben Cutting, Russell, Mavi, Nagarkoti, Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier the options).

Venues & Fixtures

Venues

Bangalore- 5, Ahmedabad – 4, Mumbai – 3, Chennai – 2

Fixtures

  • 11 April: SRH vs KKR (Chennai)
  • 13 April: KKR vs MI (Chennai)
  • 18 April: RCB vs KKR (Chennai)
  • 21 April: KKR vs CSK (Mumbai)
  • 24 April: RR vs KKR (Mumbai)
  • 26 April: PBKS vs KKR (Ahmedabad)
  • 29 April: DC vs KKR (Ahmedabad)
  • 3 May: KKR vs RCB (Ahmedabad)
  • 8 May: KKR vs DC (Ahmedabad)
  • 10 May: MI vs KKR (Bangalore)
  • 12 May: CSK vs KKR (Bangalore)
  • 15 May: KKR vs PBKS (Bangalore)
  • 18 May: KKR vs RR (Bangalore)
  • 21 May: KKR vs SRH (Bangalore)
  • 25 May: Qualifier 1 (Ahmedabad)
  • 26 May: Eliminator (Ahmedabad)
  • 28 May: Qualifier 2 (Ahmedabad)
  • 30 May: Final (Ahmedabad)

Prediction

The scheduling will benefit KKR this season. If they can capitalize on their first three games in Chennai, they will have 5 games at the Chinnaswamy at the backend. Opposition beware. Sixes galore with this lineup.

Prediction3rd
Most Runs Shubman Gill
Most WicketsPrasidh Krishna
Emerging PlayerKamlesh Nagarkoti to get a full season?
Surprise PackageHarbhajan Singh
X FactorShakib Al Hasan
Broken Cricket DreamDinesh Karthik, the finisher – Can he make India’s World Cup squad of 23? Or have we seen the last of DK in Indian clothing?
Kolkata Knight Riders Preview Predictions

What do you think of the Kolkata Knight Riders Preview? Your First XI? Will they make the IPL 2021 qualifiers?

If you like this content, please subscribe below for FREE and follow us on our social media accounts.

Follow us here if you are on Medium or Bloglovin‘.

Copyright (2021: 4/3/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

West Indies Vs Bangladesh 2021 Series Review: Young West Indies Rises Again In the East

West Indies Vs Bangladesh 2021 Series Review.

Amidst the India Vs England series, the Pakistan Super League, and IPL Auctions around the corner, this series was not really supposed to be the marquee series. In hindsight, this series will be remembered forever due to the extraordinary feats of Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner.

As Ian Bishop exclaimed, “These men have achieved what many thought was impossible.”

There were other moments as well during the series—Shakib Al Hasan’s much anticipated return, Rovman Powell’s ODI resurgence, Mehidy Hasan Miraz & Mominul’s tons, and finally, the new West Indian ‘engine room’—Jermaine Blackwood, Bonner, Mayers, Joshua Da Silva, and Alzarri Joseph.

*Note: Underlined & Bolded links are videos. Underlined without bold are links to other articles.

Results – Bangladesh Vs West Indies

ODI Series: Bangladesh Win 3 – 0

* Player of Match

  1. Bangladesh won by 6 wickets Shakib Al Hasan*
  2. Bangladesh won by 7 wicketsMehidy Hasan Miraz*
  3. Bangladesh won by 120 runsMushfiqur Rahim*
Player of Series (Bangladesh)
Shakib Al Hasan
113 runs (1 – 50), 6 wickets (best of 4/8)
West Indies
Most RunsTamim Iqbal – 158 runsRovman Powell – 116 runs
Most WicketsMehidy Hasan Miraz – 7 wicketsAkeal Hosein – 4 wickets
ODI Series Stats

Test Series: West Indies Win 2-0

  1. West Indies won by 3 wicketsKyle Mayers*
  2. West Indies won by 17 runsRakheem Cornwall*
Player of SeriesBangladeshWest Indies
Nkrumah Bonner
231 runs (2 – 50s, best of 90)
Most RunsLiton Das – 200 runs
(2 – 50s, best of 71)
Kyle Mayers – 261 runs
(1- 100, best of 210*)
Most Wickets Taijul Islam – 12 wickets
(best of 4/36 & 8/144 match)
Rakheem Cornwall – 14 wickets
(best of 5/74 & 9/179 match)
Test Series Stats

The Highlights

West Indies

ODIs

  • The West Indies batting underwhelmed in the ODIs with scorecards that read 5-56 (122 all out), 8-88 (148 all out), 6-117 (177 all out). Questions will be asked for the second string squad & the necessity of mental health breaks during COVID, but the Test series saved those questions for now.
  • In all the collapses, one batsman stood out—Rovman Powell. 28, 41, & 47 briefly resurrected the West Indies’ innings, but he would want to convert those in the near future.
  • With not many runs on the board, only Akeal Hosein stood out with a 3-wicket haul.

Tests

  • Rakheem Cornwall joins the party. Ever since his international selection, questions have always surrounded him – whether it is his fitness or batting ability. 14 wickets in the series and great slip catches will ensure he stays in the squad for a while now.
  • Time to talk about the debutants—Kyle Mayers & Nkrumah Bonner. The talk of the town. Debuting at the age of 28, his maturity was on-spot with a 40 and a 4th innings 210*. Mind blowing. Successful chase of 396 with a partnership of 216. Although Bonner did not scale the heights of a century, he contributed in both matches with 17 & 86 and 90 & 38.
  • With the glory surrounding Mayers & Bonner, Joshua Da Silva has quietly emerged as a solid middle order option for the West Indies. Scores of 42, 20, 92, & 20 did not light the world on fire, but the partnerships surely did (99, 100, 88, 118).
  • Alzarri Joseph is turning out to be a gem for the West Indies. After his 86 against New Zealand recently, he came up with a 82 in Bangladesh. Future fast-bowling all rounder?

Bangladesh

ODIs

  • Tamim Iqbal’s batting has been effective without being flashy, unlike the pre-2015 Iqbal. A senior top-order batsman & now captain, he was responsible with scores of 44, 50, & 64. With 7360 runs in ODI, he is definitely Bangladesh’s all-time best ODI batsman. And he is only 31.
  • Shakib Al Hasan’s return to cricket after his 1 year ban was seamless. 4/8 in the first ODI, player of the match, and player of the series. Unfortunately, the injury cut his Test series short. Next place? IPL with KKR. What a steal (Although he is skipping the Sri Lanka Test series).
  • Mehidy Hasan Miraz is the next all-rounder in line after Shakib Al Hasan. Already a star, he regularly contributes with the bat and ball. In the ODI series, he was the highest wicket taker.

Also Read: Bangladesh Fab 5 – Tamim Iqbal, Mashrafe Mortaza Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad

Tests

  • Speaking of Mehidy Hasan, Test match batting. 103, 57, & 31 – losing cause but kept his shoulders high.
  • Liton Das, another budding youngster, has largely underwhelmed in his short career so far. Averages of 28.62, 30.97, & 22.71 in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, does not justify his talent. Pretty 20s and 30s are not going to get you too far in international cricket, but scores of 69, 38, 71, & 22 show growing signs of maturity for Liton Das.
  • Captain Mominul Haque quelled the voices around him with a second innings 115 in the first Test. 3048 runs at 41.18 with 10 centuries and best of 181 is a decent record, but he needs to play more of these “captain’s innings.”

We like to spice things up with our own awards for the series. Here they are:

Bangladesh West Indies
Emerging PlayerMehidy Hasan Miraj, the Test batsmanJoshua Da Silva & Ian Bishop’s commentary
Surprise PackageLiton Das Rakheem Cornwall
Broken Cricket DreamShakib Al Hasan (injured)Jason Holder’s captaincy (Braithwaite permanent?)
West Indies Vs Bangladesh 2021: Awards

Who would have been your Emerging Player for the West Indies Vs Bangladesh 2021 series? Surprise Player? Broken Cricket Dream? Let us know below WITH COMMENTS! Also please subscribe!

If you like this content, please subscribe above for FREE and follow us on our social media accounts.

Follow us here if you are on Medium or Bloglovin‘.

Where Do They Go From Here?

Bangladesh

Bangladesh will fly to New Zealand for 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs. Then they will tour Sri Lanka in April to complete the twice postponed WTC series.

West Indies

West Indies will tour Sri Lanka for a T20I series. Returns for Chris Gayle (who cut his PSL campaign short for international return) and Fidel Edwards (Kolpak deals end with Brexit). Definitely looking like a side who is willing to go for their 3rd World T20 World Cup title.

Gayle even said he will try to play cricket till 45. Wow. GOAT.

In the New Zealand Vs West Indies Series Review, we questioned if the sun has set on West Indies cricket? In Bangladesh, a young West Indies rose in the east.

Image Courtesy: Chris GayleNAPARAZZI Via CC by SA 2.0

Why Shakib And Co are the True Fab 5 of this Era

Is Babar Azam in the Fab Five? Does he join Kane Williamson, Steven Smith, Virat Kohli, and Joe Root or replace Root altogether? This was the talking point in the first test of the ongoing England-Pakistan Test series.

The debate will continue. In the meantime, I offer a counterargument.

Who are the true Fab 5 of this era? None of the above.

I argue that the Fab 5 of this decade is not a combination of stars. Rather, it is the core of a single team: The Bangladesh Fab 5Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Tamim Iqbal, and Mashrafe Mortaza.

The Argument

The Golden Period of The 2000s

In the 2000s, each team had a golden generation or a solid core.

Australia, South Africa, and Sri Lanka had world-beating teams. Pakistan had Younis-Yousuf-Inzi. Similarly, India had Sehwag-Tendulkar-Dravid-Ganguly-VVS, NZ had Fleming-Astle-McMillan-Vettori, and even a declining West Indies team had Gayle-Sarwan-Lara-Chanderpaul.

Although Australia were the standout team of the generation, all the other teams had multiple match-winners and could challenge Australia on their day. Over the past decade, though, most of the teams have undergone a transition as older generations retire.

The Current Generation

Sure, Williamson-Smith-Kohli-Root/Azam are all great. They have consistently dominated the batting charts across formats both at home and abroad. However, teams consisting of a group of players consistently winning games over all the formats in the past decade has been a rarity.

New Zealand had a brief period of stability with the McCullum-Guptill-Williamson-Vettori-Boult/Southee era. Likewise, England were just beginning to develop a side that could sustain its dominance on one-day cricket before the pandemic intervened. Sri Lanka and South Africa have yet to recover from the transition, while most others revolve around one or two individuals.

Hence, the only team in the past decade with a golden generation has been Bangladesh.

The Team: Bangladesh Cricket Fab 5

Today’s Bangladesh team is a competitive force. Maybe even second best in Asia. It is no longer considered an upset when they win. This was not always the case.

First Memory

1999 and 2007. Years that Bangladesh fans remember fondly.

Bangladesh first burst onto the scene in the 1999 Cricket World Cup (CWC) when they stunned Pakistan. Although that game caught the eye of the world and paved their Test cricket dreams, it was the 2007 WC victory against India that would usher a new era for Bangladesh altogether.

Mashrafe Mortaza rocked India with his opening spell and 4 wickets. Tamim, Shakib, and Musfiq all made crucial 50s. 17-year old Tamim’s running-down-the-wicket assault to Zaheer Khan was the highlight, and Mushfiqur stayed till the very end to deliver victory.

The Stats

Tamim Iqbal:

Wisden cricketer of 2011, Tamim Iqbal established himself as Bangladesh’s opener between 2007-2011. After a brief slow patch, Iqbal has become the symbol of consistency since the 2015 World Cup. Earlier in his career, he was known for his aggressive stroke play. As he gained experience, he has taken more responsibility and curbed the aggression.

Result: Test centuries and longer ODI innings. Accumulated hundreds in all formats, highest Bangladeshi run-scorer across formats, and the first to 10000 international runs.

  • Test: 4405 runs, 38.64 average, best of 206, 9-100s/27-50s
  • ODI: 7202 runs, 36.74 average, best of 158, 13-100s/47-50s
  • T20I: 1758 runs, 24.08 average, best of 103*, 1-100/7-50s
Shakib Al Hasan:

Shakib is, perhaps, Bangladesh’s first cricket superstar. One of the best all-rounders of all-time and certainly of this era. Coveted by worlds T20 franchises and Ranked No. 1 in all three formats for the majority of the decade. He has rescued Bangladesh time and again. Whether it is finishing a innings, taking 5-fors as a hobby, or taking responsibility as No.3 at the 2019 World Cup, scoring over 600 runs and taking 10 wickets— he has done it all.

Records: Fastest to 6000 runs + 250 wickets, 2nd Bangladeshi to 10000 international runs, and more

  • Test: 3862 runs, 39.4 average, best of 217, 5-100s/24-50s + 210 wickets at 31.12
  • ODI: 6323 runs, 37.86 average, best of 134*, 9-100s/47-50s + 260 wickets at 30.21
  • T20I: 1567, 23.74 average, best of 84, 9-50s + 92 wickets at 20.58
Mushfiqur Rahim:

Only wicket-keeper to score two or more double centuries in test-cricket (he has 3), Mushfiqur has become the pillar of Bangladesh’s line up and an energetic presence behind the wicket. Short in stature, he has become one of the best players of the pull shot and the reverse sweep. Always preserving his best against India, he most recently finished the T20I game in 2019 to exorcise the ghost of Bangalore in 2016. Will go down as one of all time best wicket-keeper batsman.

  • Test: 4413 runs, 36.77 average, best of 219*, 7-100s/21-50s + 119 dismissals
  • ODI: 6174 runs, 36.31 average, best of 144, 7-100s/38-50s + 225 dismissals
  • T20I: 1282 runs, 20.03 average, best of 72*, 5-50s + 62 dismissals

Mahmudullah: (Riyad)

A late-entrant into the Fab 5, Mahmudullah is Bangladesh’s shock absorber. Has been involved in almost all of their famous victories. Most famously, promoted to No.3 in the 2015 World Cup, he scored back-to-back centuries. The turning point in Bangladesh cricket was the 2017 Champions Trophy match against New Zealand when he and Shakib combined a partnership to go from 33/4 to chase 265. Later in his career, he has become a finishing specialist. Also a handy off-spinner and astute captain in the BPL.

  • Test: 2764 runs, 31.77 average, best of 146, 4-100s/16-50s
  • ODI: 4070 runs, 33.63 average, best of 128*, 3-100s/21-50s
  • T20I: 1475 runs, 24.18 average, best of 64*, 4-50s
Mashrafe Mortaza: (Koushik)

Debuted in 2001, the longevity of Mortaza’s career as a fast bowler itself is an incredible achievement. Began his career as someone who could bowl in the late 140s Km/hr. Ended as a line-and-length control bowler with speeds down in the low 120s. Started the fast bowling revolution in Bangladesh, but his claim to fame is his captaincy. Kept the team united for the last 5 years of his career, providing a period of growth for Bangladesh cricket. Also a handy lower-order batsman.

  • Test: 78 wickets at 41.52 + 1/1 win as captain
  • ODI: 270 wickets at 32.93 + 50/88 wins as captain
  • T20I: 42 wickets at 36.35 + 10.28 wins as captain

What Makes Them Great?

The beauty of this generation is in the variety of the roles they play.

Tamim Iqbal is an opener. Mushfiqur Rahim is a middle-order wicket-keeper. Shakib Al Hasan their premier spinner and all-rounder. Mahmudullah the calm finisher. Mortaza—once the pace spearhead, now the ace captain.

They have all been vice-captain and captain at some points in time. Shakib-Musfiq-Mahmudullah have batted in all the positions in the middle order. Hence, the fluidity in the batting order and experience is why they have become a consistent team.

Regardless of the selections around them, the Fab 5 have been a reliable presence for the past 10-15 years.

The opening batting partners of Tamim and bowling partners of Mortaza might change, the understudies to Mushfiq’s wicket-keeping and Riyad’s finishing might come and go, others from Bangladesh’s left-arm-spin-factory might briefly complement Shakib, but these five themselves have remained a constant.

The Moments

After India were defeated in 2007 CWC, South Africa also faced defeat against the mighty Tigers. Subsequently, they knocked out England in 2011 and 2015. They truly became a global force in 2016 with series victories against India, South Africa, England, and Australia across formats at home.

Recently, with the 2018 Asia Cup final almost ending in a tie, Bangladesh winning their first tri-series, and a memorable 2019 CWC campaign with an inspirational superhuman display from Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh have definitely elevated their status in world cricket.

Furthermore, Bangladesh U-19 team has shown immense progress. They went to the semi-finals in 2016 under Mehidy Hasan Miraz and last February, they lifted the U-19 WC trophy when captain Akbar Ali kept his nerve. The new generation of Bangladesh are talented and hungry to win.

The Legacy

Imagine this squad for the 2023 Cricket World Cup:

Openers: Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Naim, Soumya Sarkar
Wicket-Keepers: Liton Das, Musfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun
Middle-Order: Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain, Akbar Ali
All-Rounders: Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Fast-Bowlers: Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Haider, Taskin Ahmed

Liton Das has been earmarked as a destructive batsman for the future. The Fizz has already made a name in T20 leagues around the world. Saifuddin and Miraz have taken the baton from Shakib for the future all-rounder spot.

In addition, with Mosaddek Hossain, Taijul Islam, Sabbir Rahman in-and-out of the side and the likes of Saif Hassan and Rakibul Hasan waiting in the wings, this squad looks potentially dangerous. All-rounders, solid openers, variety of fast bowlers, and choking spinners, this squad has it all.

Mortaza has said on numerous occasions they are targetting 2023 semifinals at least. Maybe they will go far in the 2023 world cup. Maybe they won’t. In any case,

Whatever Bangladesh cricket accomplish in the future from now, it will be built on the shoulders of these giants.

What The Future Holds

With the advent of T20, overkill of cricket, increasing injuries to fast bowlers, mental pressure the players need to deal with, we may no longer have sides that play together for a long time across formats. Heck, we may now have different teams playing different formats on the same day, an idea Eoin Morgan recently alluded to.

What we can do, is to enjoy the final stretch of these players that have given Bangladesh cricket and world cricket whole loads of joy.

Like the tributes? Check out our piece on Rahul Dravid or the dual retirements of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni.

Sources: ESPNCricinfo (scorecards and reports), YouTube (videos), ICC (videos)

Image Courtesy:

Shakib: Nurunnaby Chowdhury (Hasive) / CC BY-SA 4.0, Tamim: S dip.T / CC BY-SA 4.0, Rahim: Rasi56 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Mahmudullah: Nurunnaby Chowdhury (Hasive) / CC BY-SA 4.0, Mashrafe: Jubair1985 / CC BY- SA 4.0,