Miraz embracing Shakib’s role but doing it his own way
Mehidy Hasan Miraz hits a crucial century, Cricfrenzy
While many fans and pundits see shades of Shakib Al Hasan in Miraz’s evolving game, the off-spinning all-rounder has made it clear—he wants to create his own identity.
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Miraz, who began his career primarily as a bowler, has significantly improved his batting in recent years. His century in the second Test was his second in the format, and he followed it up with a five-wicket haul—his 13th in Tests.
With this feat, he became only the third Bangladeshi cricketer, after Shakib Al Hasan and Sohag Gazi, to score a century and take five wickets in the same Test. He is also the second Bangladeshi after Shakib to achieve the rare double of 2,000 Test runs and 200 wickets.
Inevitably, comparisons with Shakib came up in the post-match press conference. Addressing the topic, Miraz said,
“Everyone keeps bringing up Shakib bhai. We all know his achievements are on another level. He played his role in his own way. I started my career focusing on bowling and later worked hard to improve my batting.”
“I know I can bat, and I’ve worked on it a lot. The team has supported me. I just want to play in my own way and contribute however I can.”
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Acknowledging the added responsibility in Shakib’s absence, Miraz said,
“Of course, when Shakib bhai was here, he had a different role. Now it’s a different scenario. The team management has confidence in my batting, and I also realize its importance. Maybe now I am playing the leading all-rounder role, which Shakib bhai used to play.”
He concluded with maturity and self-awareness:
“There will be days when things go well and days they won’t, but what matters is sticking to the process. I believe I should take on this responsibility and continue to perform.”
Miraz’s humility and determination to forge his own path while stepping up for the team marks him as a leader in Bangladesh’s new era of Test cricket.
