Waltzing Back into THE GAME

Returning to the sports arena after any sort of break or an injury is a pretty tough task and even a monumental ordeal in some cases for many sportsmen or athletes. Fitness, techniques and the mindset towards the sport are often hampered irreparably.

Shakib Al Hasan was awarded a ban from all sorts of cricket on July 7, 2014 due to the disciplinary issues most of us already know of. The six-month ban was thankfully reduced and lifted partially from September 15 for the Asian Games, Zimbabwe series and the domestic leagues, though the ban is still imposed on international leagues till December. During this turmoil, Shakib was not sitting idly at home, however. After an interview with a journalist he learnt of a record as rare as hen's teeth and he had the idea stuck in his head.

After an impressive six-wicket haul in the 1st Test against Zimbabwe, he sprang back to the newspaper stories. And in the 2nd Test, he went straight to the headlines. With a remarkable record of scoring a century and picking up 10 wickets in a single Test, he joined two of cricket's great names: England's Ian Botham and Pakistan's Imran Khan. It was a feat that was untouched for 24 long years!

Thanks to this performance, he has once again clinched the title of the best Test all-rounder in the ICC rankings, leaving R. Ashwin and V.D. Philander far behind.

Shakib Al Hasan is a sight for the sore eyes of the Bangladeshi cricket crowd. The passionate fans of the game will fervently hope that his momentum would stay intact, as well as his zeal for being a playmaker.