Opinions on... Shakib Al-Hasan

An evening that started with a chance encounter at a bar had turned deliciously promising, when a very willing Katrina Kaif  accompanied Shakib Al-Hasan to his room. It was then that Shakib remembered reading an article that had appeared in the "Amercian Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases". Unprotected intercourse is 68% more likely to result in genital warts.


Shakib Al-Hasan is very selective about the statistics he chooses to back. Many times he succumbs to the wrong ones.

Like the one above.

Although I suspect, visions of Shoaib Akhtar may have a role to play in it.

Whatever the reason, many will agree that the evening should not have ended with Shakib sobbing with Katrina as they watched "Twilight".

Like Anil Kumble, Shakib started off as a fast bowler but found success as a spinner. Unlike with Anil Kumble there are far more than a couple of people who have sworn that they have seen seen him turn the ball. They often said of Anil Kumble that as a bowler he had a fast bowler's mind and aggression. No one has ever said that about Shakib but I think in time they will.

Shakib is one of those rare all-rounders who started out as a specialist batsman. His development as a spin bowler followed much later. Not as late as Yuvraj Singh though.

His approach to captaincy gives us enough reason to believe that he is the kind of guy who would have to be dragged to his Nikah. He is, however, one of the rare captains to have won a Test Series in the West Indies.  But it must have felt like making love to Susan Boyle donning a Katrina Kaif mask.

For a long time Shakib was in the shadow of Mashrafe Mortaza but now, finally, he has emerged as Bangladesh's best ever all-rounder. Shakib Al-Hasan is also Bangladesh's answer to Daniel Vettorri.

Nobody is sure whether either of them will take it as a compliment.

Other unsolicited opinions on unsuspecting cricketers...

• Daniel Vettorri
• Yuvraj Singh