County Championship
Shakib out cheaply after bowling heroic for Surrey
|| CF DESK ||
Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who signed a one-match contract with County Championship team Surrey, made an impressive return with the ball but couldn't shine with the bat.
In his first appearance in county cricket in over a decade, Shakib took four wickets in Somerset’s first innings, bowled 33.5 overs, including seven maidens, conceding 97 runs and claiming four wickets.
However, Shakib despite his success with the ball, his performance with the bat was less impressive on Wednesday. Coming in at number six, the left-handed batter managed only 12 runs from 24 balls before being dismissed.
Attempting to advance down the track to push a delivery from Jack Leach, Shakib ended up giving a simple leading-edge catch to the bowler.
Shakib had a chance to stay longer at the crease, as he narrowly survived two balls earlier. He had mistimed a shot off Leach, giving a catch, but Leach was unable to hold on.
Despite this reprieve, Shakib's innings came to an end soon after, his 12 runs including just one boundary. His struggles with the bat continue, as he hasn’t been in good form for an extended period.
On his recent tour of Pakistan, Shakib also failed to make an impact with the bat. In the first Test in Rawalpindi, he scored just 15 runs, followed by scores of 2 and an unbeaten 21 in the second Test.
This county campaign should help Shakib for the upcoming India Test series.