Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan stands on the verge of another milestone in his illustrious cricket career.
In international cricket, Shakib needs only 7 wickets to complete 700 wickets across all three formats, with just two wickets remaining to achieve this feat. Stepping onto this unique milestone, today at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, he will play the fifth and final T20 match against Zimbabwe.
Ten months ago, Shakib participated in his first T20 match after a long hiatus. Although he scored only 1 run with the bat, he delivered an outstanding performance with the ball. He contributed significantly to the team’s victory by taking 4 wickets for 35 runs. With this, he has now accumulated a total of 698 wickets across all three formats.
Up to now, in 67 Test matches, 237 ODIs, and 118 T20Is, Shakib has claimed 144 wickets. His bowling average stands at an impressive 28.15, with an economy rate of 3.90. He has taken five wickets in an innings 25 times and ten wickets in a match twice.
Shakib’s bowling prowess places him well ahead of other Bangladeshi bowlers. Mashrafe Mortaza is second with 389 wickets, followed by Mustafizur Rahman with 305 wickets.
As the seventh-highest wicket-taker spinner in the world, Shakib is on the verge of touching Daniel Vettori’s milestone. Vettori, with 705 wickets in 442 matches, currently holds the record.
Therefore, it can be confidently said that unless something extraordinary happens, Shakib will soon surpass Vettori to become the most successful left-arm spinner in cricket history.
