PAK vs BAN emotional rollercoaster: Shakib Al Hasan flings his cap in disgust, Babar Azam keeps looking at the big screen

Rizwan’s sweep shot.
He is one of the best sweepers in world cricket. Mohammad Rizwan can even sweep the pacers, never mind the spinners as Shakib Al Hasan would find out. Not that Hasan didn’t know it already; he even hurled his left-armers outside off but line doesn’t really matter for Rizwan who was on his knee to dispatch two successive fours. He took the bottom-hand off the first one, and sent the ball well to the right of deep square-leg. Next ball, he hit it hard to the left of that fielder. At 26 for 0, after that dropped catch, in 4 overs, Pakan are looking good. Already, 1992 talks have been circling in the air since the morning.
Unlucky Taskin
Poor Taskin Ahmed. Clearly one of the best pacers of the tournaments, and Bangladesh ‘s best, produced a peach of a legcutter. Pace, bounce ce, movement…it had it all.. Got the edge tooof Mohammad Rizwan but the keeper Hasan Nurul Sohan, who had worked so hard in the last couple of years to control his emotions – his own admission he was a bit of a firecracker, prone to emotively lit up, couldn’t hold himself.
“A huge make, regulation catch” Former Kiwii keeper Ian Smith would make the highlights package very difficult to watch for Sohan. He could have just taken a step to his right to take it, instead he lunged and dives right into trouble. The ball popped out to trust anguish in Taskin. Next ball, a top edged six of course. Life …
Shanto or Arjuna?
It was a shot that Arjuna Ranatunga would have been proud of. Shanto’s late off Shadab Khan. Shadab has been the thorn in the middle overs for opponents and the chief reason for Pakan to take control in this phase. Off his first over, Shanto would take a couple of twos and then unfurl that Ranatunga late cut. Even as the ball turned into the stumps, off and middle line, Shanto opened the bat-face late and whisked it to third man. Only difference, Shanto ran a couple of times up and down the track. Walk Shanto Walk, like that Sri Lankan legend. “Body language of Pakan looks so tensed,” Adam Gilchr would say shortly.
Tamim Iqbal, then. Litton Das, now. A six to remember
There are some sixes that get tattooed in the brain forever. Bangladesh has given us one such epic moment: The Tamim Iqbal six. When he walked down the track to thump Zaheer Khan over long-on in a world-cup game. Now comes, Litton Das moment. He too walked down the pitch but this was a bouncer from Shaheen Shah Afridi. Litton, who nearly won the game against India on his own, didn’t blink. Off his front foot, he thunderously walloped a pull over midwicket for a six that will stay in the mind.
Shakib doesn’t want to walk; umpires tell him to take a walk
Shakib Al Hasan skipped down the track, missed the flick, and was hit on the sole of his boot. He took one more step to think about the single, decided against it, turned, and got back to the safety of his crease when he saw Mohammad Rizwan celebrate the dismissal. The umpire had given him out lbw. He immediately went for the DRS. The dance of impact was within legal dance allowed. But was there a bat on ball? The bat did hit the ground just before the ball came over but did the ball also hit the bat as it passed? One of those extended spikes that always become a point of contention. Third umpire was confident to say that no bat involved, next frame please. Next frame was of course the dead-duck lbw. Akthar Ali Khan on air says “ I am not convinced, there was inside edge. The bat was above the ground when there was spike. Unbelievable!”
Shakib refused to go. He is asked to go the umpires. He dawdles for a few steps but then came back. Now the other umpire asked him to go. And off he trudged away. Shadab Khan had again delivered the sucker punch to an opponent in the middle overs.
Iftikhar Ahmed aka Chachu does the trick
Shanto had just charged out to deposit him for a four. No problem, Iftikhar has it covered. Next ball, the ball gripped between thumb and forefinger, he slid it out gently. Out popped the ball like a dab of anaesthesia. Shanto had rushed out for the big hit and was way too early for the ball that gently winked on to the stumps. Iftikhar would pump his f and stroll. He doesn’t show much emotion does he? Affectionately called Chachu the fans, he has been shutting down mouths this tournament. Pre-tournament form during Asia Cup and such had the critics baying for his head, but he has been the best batsman for Pakan thus far.
The bails are broken but where is the ball?
This time around the third umpire who seemed in such a hurry to rule Shakib Al Hasan out took his time. He saw Mohammad Wasim Jr had let slip the ball before he broke the stumps at the non-strikers end. There was no question about Afif Hossain making it back in time. He wasn’t. But Wasim Jr gathered the throw but as he went towards the stumps, he only grasped thin air and a lot of wood. The ball had long popped out.
Babar is no Rizwan
Babar is no Rizwan. In terms of the sweep shot. When Nasum flighted one up outside off – fab delivery, that with a great loopy dip – Babar went down on his knee. So far so good. But to fetch it from outside off and swing it over the leg side would need Rizwanish skills; just a desire wouldn’t do. As Babar found out. Unsurprisingly, the ball ballooned up for a simple catch and Nasum roars.
Off the fifth ball, Nasum went down pleading for an lbw shout against Mohammad Nawaz, who too had gone for the sweep. The umpire didn’t agree, and so they went for the DRS. The point of impact though was outside off and Nawaz escaped.
Shakib Al Hasan flings his cap in disgust
Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan bowls during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Pakan and Bangladesh in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/James Els)
Oh Pakan … and Oh Shakib Al Hasan …. In the 12th over, they had their fans in a nervous frenzy when Mohammad Rizwan joined his captain back in the hut. Never a great off-side player, but usually really good with square cuts, Rizwan was perhaps caught in two minds with that well-outside-off ball from Ebadot. He went for a tame cut, taking his bottom hand off the handle, squirting the ball straight to point. Couple of balls, more drama as Ebadot appealed for a lbw decision against Nawaz and the ball had rolled out to gully region.
Shakib wailed, flung his cap down to the ground and went to the umpires. This was immediately after the initial appeal was negated. Out came a throw with the batsman well outside the crease but he missed and the ball would roll down to the boundary for four overthrows. Shakib was upset for some reason and took it up with the umpires. Perhaps, he was upset about the time running out for the review. The clock had ticked over. The umpires wouldn’t consider the DRS.
Shakib wailed, flung his cap down to the ground and went to the umpires. The replays show that the ball had pitched outside leg stump. Shakib Al Hasan is one of the more emotive captains in world cricket. In Bangladesh, he has uprooted stumps and flung with decisions he didn’t like. Well, he did that once, but these things stick. Once, from the team balcony, he had done a pelvic thrust at his detractors. The Shakib Al Hasan Emotions file is a huge never ending one.
Shakib slumps to the ground
In the 13th over, Muztafizur Rehman came up with a brute of a bouncer to Mohammad Haris. The ball crashed into the helmet and as it popped up, it ricocheted off the bat and lobbed behind the stumps where Nurul Hasan made a valiant attempt lunging back but couldn’t read it. And Shakib slumped to the ground in disappointment. It’s been that kind of a day for him. Out lbw in controversial circumstances when most felt he had an inside edge but the third umpire was convinced there was no bat. He had dawdled then, refusing to go back, having chats with the umpire. Then he has bared his heart even more in the last few minutes.
Shakib-cam, please broadcasters
The game turned again in the 14th over for the nth time. Mohammad Haris first slammed a full-length ball to cover boundary and then pulled a bouncer to deep square-leg. Afif Hossain lunged behind but even before he could thrown the ball back, he had stepped on the ropes. At the end of that over, Pakan needed 39 from 26 balls. Unfortunately, no camera was on Shakib Al Hasan. At the start of the over, he had tried his sunglasses on. Then removed it. Then had it on. Then removed it. Under pressure, the itch was on. For all the criticism, Shakib has captained the chase well as far as the bowling changes. He even got himself very early in the Powerplay to see if he could do anything but Rizwan swept him for couple of boundaries.
He then brought himself on for the crucial 15th over. Three balls, three singles as Pakan tried to bat cautiously. Then Nawaz charged out but couldn’t get under the loopy Shakib ball and stabbed it towards cover. They tried to steal the run but the throw was accurate and Pakan lost a wicket. Shakib led a team huddle as Pakan were now 92 for 3.
Does Ramiz Raja have a comeback from Saeed Ajmal now?
When Mohammad Haris, who turned the game around with his bat, was selected for the T20 world cup squad, he hadn’t played a single T20. Barbed tongues were out, of course. Former spinner Saeed Ajmal would say this.
“”Mohammad Haris is selected because he is Ramiz Raja’s choice, he is his favourite. Ramiz Raja likes him, that’s why they kept him,” Ajmal said on his official YouTube channel.”If you want to go performance, Sarfaraz (Ahmed) has been performing well in the (domestic) T20s. You could have kept him in the reserves.”
The injury to Fakhar Zaman got Haris a game against South Africa where he played a fiery cameo to turn the tide. Here again, under pressure, with the openers out and Mohammad Nawaz too failing, he stood up to be counted.
Shakib spills his emotions all over Adelaide as Pakan beat Bangladesh to make it to semis
Pakan players celebrate after the T20 World Cup cricket match against Bangladesh in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022. (AP/PTI)(AP11_06_2022_000065B)
With three runs needed, Babar Azam kept looking at the big screen. He would stare at himself. And when Iftikhar holed out with just two needed, Babar would glance behind him with a slightly pensive face. Not real worry, as there were lots of deliveries left, but a grimace perhaps. What a ride it has been for Babar.
In the middle, Shakib would hold one final team huddle. He had led the chase well but the batting had left a lot to be desired after a decent start. At least 150 was needed for the match-situation to take over. And when Shan flicked the winning runs, Rizwan would envelop Babar in a big bear hug. Shakib would walk out, wiping his face with his sleeves. Babar would go over to his team-mates and hug them all. That 1992 feeling all over again.