On a day when Bangladesh faced the music against Scotland, Shakib Al Hasan has managed to add another feather in his cap.
Shakib Al Hasan is now the leading wicket-taker in men’s T20 Internationals, surpassing Lasith Malinga’s record of 107 wickets.
The Bangladeshi star all-rounder achieved this feat by removing Michael Leask as his second scalp in the third over of his spell last night. He has now a total of 108 wickets in T20Is.
|
Player |
Match |
Innings |
Wickets |
|
Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) * |
89 |
88 |
108 |
|
Lasith Malinga (SL) |
84 |
83 |
107 |
|
Tim Southee (NZ) * |
83 |
81 |
99 |
|
Shahid Afridi (PAK/ICC) |
99 |
97 |
98 |
|
Rashid Khan (AFG/ICC) * |
51 |
51 |
95 |
|
Umar Gul (PAK) |
60 |
60 |
85 |
|
Saeed Ajmal (PAK) |
64 |
63 |
85 |
|
Mustafizur Rahman (BAN) * |
53 |
53 |
78 |
|
George Dockrell (IRE) * |
86 |
73 |
76 |
|
Dwayne Bravo (WI) * |
86 |
73 |
76 |
* denotes the current cricketers
Shakib Al Hasan required 5 additional appearances to exceed the Sri Lankan legend. Shakib’s nearest competitor among the current set of players is Tim Southee. This Kiwi fast-medium bowler is just one wicket away from reaching the three-figure mark.
However, since they belong to the same age group (Shakib is two years older than Southee) and the longevity of the seamers in most cases tends to be less than others, it can be inferred that Shakib is more likely to end up with more wickets between these two.
The Afghan sensation Rashid Khan is ranked third among the current players with amazing numbers to his name.
Considering his age (although highly debatable) and the rate at which he is picking up wickets, it is safe to assume that this leg spinner is definitely one of the contenders to reach the top of the ladder.
From Bangladesh’s perspective, the Fizz is the only other player in the top 10 list. Although not as staggering as Rashid Khan’s, Mustafiz’s numbers are definitely worth looking at.
Should he be able to manage his workload and injuries efficiently in future, one day he can be the bowler to watch out for to be Bangladesh’s, if not the world’s, leading wicket-taker in this format surpassing Shakib Al Hasan.
|
Team |
Match |
Innings |
Wickets |
|
West Indies |
10 |
10 |
19 |
|
Zimbabwe |
12 |
12 |
16 |
|
Australia |
9 |
9 |
12 |
|
Sri Lanka |
7 |
7 |
10 |
|
Afghanistan |
6 |
6 |
8 |
|
South Africa |
6 |
6 |
7 |
|
Netherlands |
3 |
3 |
6 |
|
Pakistan |
9 |
9 |
6 |
|
New Zealand |
10 |
10 |
6 |
|
India |
6 |
6 |
4 |
|
Others |
11 |
10 |
14 |
Shakib’s wicket tally against nations
Coming back to Shakib Al Hasan, he has picked up wickets against all the top nations he has played against. Among them, a lion’s share of his wickets has come from West Indies, Zimbabwe, Australia, and Sri Lanka.
|
Venue |
Match |
Innings |
Wickets |
|
Home |
40 |
40 |
50 |
|
Away |
25 |
25 |
29 |
|
Neutral |
24 |
23 |
29 |
Shakib's stats home and away
One of the main traits that have helped Shakib reach the height where he is now is his ability to adapt to different conditions. The stats here also suggest similar trends.
Throughout his career, his performance has never been confined to only home grounds. Rather, he has been a consistent performer for Bangladesh in both home and away conditions.
In this ending phase of his career, if there is anything that he deserves but has not been able to achieve, that will definitely be winning an ICC Title for his country.
After a heartbreaking loss against the Scottish, Shakib-- along with everyone else in the squad, has no other alternative but to bring in his A-game if he wants to leave a mark at the international level.
