Winning a must for outspoken Shakib

On January 23, 2009, a Bangladeshi became No. 1 in the world. Now, it might seem strange that climbing to the top of the ICC's one-day all-rounder's chart, as Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh captain, did, is big news. But for a team whose significance is regularly questioned and for a country where there aren't many personalities or occasions to cherish, a place at the top of anything is at once remarkable, taken to heart and, more often than not, scrutinized.

In Shakib's case, it is an even more unlikely climb given that Bangladesh cricketers typically learn to play top-class bowling only after they get to international cricket. They bowl less than their opponents in Test cricket too, and they have yet to develop a culture of winning. But Shakib managed to stay on top for two solid years, and if not for Shane Watson's glorious run, Shakib's No. 1 status would probably have survived his dip in form during the World Cup.

As a result Shakib is instantly recognised in Bangladesh. Kids want to be like him, sponsors just want him and a growing list of hangers-on follow him around. At 24, he has shown the maturity of a hardened pro, but there have been occasions recently when his age has betrayed him. The casual verbal dismissal of a rival Dhaka club the day before a league game that Shakib's team lost to by 10 wickets, and his behaviour during the World Cup - misplaced jokes, making fun of reporters - have raised the same question: Is Shakib capable of handling his new found fame?

What has set Shakib apart as a Bangladesh cricketer is his clarity of thought, professionalism and forthright nature. His push for the High Performance programme to be reinstated and his ideas for the first-class structure are a breath of fresh air from a conservative group of sportsmen who mostly mind their own business. It is a rare Bangladesh cricketer who criticises himself for not bowling well after taking four wickets in a match. Nor have many Bangladesh captains told a batsman he must score a hundred when he's made 75, not even in the privacy of their dressing room.

Yet Increasingly Shakib's off-field actions are drawing more attention than his brilliance on it. His daring century against New Zealand was worthy of adulation, but was marred by his aggressive rush towards a fan who wasn't moving quickly enough from in front of the sightscreen.

When he was asked to take over as captain "permanently but on a series-to-series basis", he refused and asked for a longer term so that people listened to him and there was a structure in place. His public stance against the Bangladesh Cricket Board wasn't out of place either; the BCB has increasingly become a punch-line and if the best cricketer in the country can't set it right, no one can. But a more level-headed approach would have helped set things right without focusing on any of the unpleasant incidents that have taken place since their 4-0 win over New Zealand last year.

Even the controversy over team selection that arose just before the tour of Zimbabwe was as much Shakib's fault as the board's fault and echoed his comments from December last year, when he hinted that he was saddled with a XI that he did not completely agree with.

If each indiscretion is looked at in isolation, it reveals a person frustrated at being misunderstood. He joked with a journalist after Bangladesh beat Ireland in the World Cup, a video whose hits multiplied online after the devastating loss to West Indies. When Mahmudullah Riyad and Shafiul Islam shocked England in the next game, Shakib cried; the pressure telling on a man whose critics jumped at the opportunity to castigate him for being too ambitious after beating Ireland.

The BCB also had to ask the players and those associated with the team not to write columns in newspapers after Shakib wrote a column expressing his displeasure at criticism from former players after his side was bowled out for 58 against West Indies.

Shakib, though, has tasted the hard labour of county cricket and the glamorous life of the IPL. His experiences in England and, to a lesser extent, in India, have given him a better sense of professionalism, something he can pass on to his Bangladesh teammates. But in order to make the best use of his skills, he needs to understand the responsibility of being important, being No. 1 or No. 2 in the world, and he has to realise what he represents.

His troubles with the cricket board and media certainly don't make him any less of a cricketer and in an increasingly competitive and fractured society in Bangladesh, it is unfair to put Shakib on a pedestal. It will also take time for people to fully understand this young man or for him to understand what people expect from him.

One thing that is in his favour is his record in Bangladesh wins. He is the best with both bat and ball and across all formats. But the fickleness of the game, particularly in Bangladesh, is what Shakib has to come to grips with right away. His performances on the field are no longer the only measure of him since he's also the captain. That's why in Zimbabwe, and the upcoming winter at home, Shakib has to win. If he doesn't, he might find there is not as much tolerance for his outspoken views as there are now.