It was the second T20 match of the series against Sri Lanka in Dambulla. In the 13th over of the innings, Shamim Hossain displayed his flair first, a superb cut shot behind point off a delivery outside off-stump from Chamika Karunaratne. Then again, off the last ball of the same over, another stylish cut off Karunaratne’s off-cutter. Both went for boundaries.
Four overs later, came another statement shot a full-length slinging delivery on off-stump from Nuwan Thushara. Shamim, with a high elbow, got on the front foot and lofted the ball over long-off. He held the pose in his follow-through until the ball crossed the boundary, creating a perfect frame for the photographers.
That innings of 48* off just 27 balls was immensely valuable. It included five fours and two sixes. Four of the five boundaries were on the offside at point, deep point, extra cover, and third man. The first six came over long-off, while the second a signature shot was struck to deep fine leg just before he was dismissed.
With a strike rate of 177, Shamim’s go-to shot during the innings was the cut. Most of his runs came from the offside. This is particularly noteworthy because just a year ago, he had a reputation for being a one-dimensional player someone who only scored on the leg side. He would often scoop full-length balls over fine leg or create space outside off-stump to hit bouncers. But Shamim seems determined to change that perception, and his Dambulla performance was a clear sign of that effort.
How much has Shamim expanded his shot range?
Rajin Saleh, batting coach of the HP (High Performance) team, takes us back to a year ago during the Top End T20 tournament in Australia, where he was Shamim’s coach. Across 8 matches, Shamim scored 186 runs at a strike rate of 116 not eye-catching on paper, but Rajin witnessed growth in his batting approach.
Rajin closely observed Shamim’s 32* off 42 against Adelaide Strikers, 44 off 38 against Pakistan Shaheens, and 41* off 34 in the semifinal win against Northern Territory. So he wasn’t surprised to see Shamim playing all around the wicket in Sri Lanka.
“Shamim really improved in that area during the HP team’s Australia tour last year. I was the batting coach on that trip. He played some great cricket. That was a top-level series for him,” said Rajin.
Having played 31 T20Is for Bangladesh, Shamim’s progress is apparent to Rajin. “Since last year, he’s improved a lot. Even in this year’s DPL, he won several matches with brilliant performances. I think it was crucial for him to improve in this area. To succeed in international cricket, you can’t just score from one zone. Now we have someone who can contribute at No. 6 or 7. Shamim has shown he’s capable of playing in that position.”
Shamim has proven his worth with the bat. He’s also a sharp fielder his run-out in the second T20 changed the course of the match for Bangladesh. And his bowling? Handy enough. He can be relied upon for 4–5 overs in ODIs or at least 2 overs in T20s. In the second ODI against Sri Lanka, he bowled 9 overs, took 1 wicket for just 22 runs a testament to his tactical acumen in containing runs.
Take the final T20, for example. Captain Liton Das gave him only 2 overs. He conceded just 10 runs and took the wicket of Kamindu Mendis. All things considered, many now see Shamim as a potential new all-rounder in Bangladesh’s T20 setup.
While Rajin Saleh is hopeful, former captain Habibul Bashar Sumon prefers to wait a bit. He currently sees Shamim as a “mini all-rounder” “I think we’ll be able to say more confidently after one more year. Right now, I’d call him a mini all-rounder. In the context of Bangladesh cricket, everyone hopes he’ll grow into a complete all-rounder.”