It's nice to see a representative of an emerging cricketing nation claim top spot in the official rankings. We have known for a while that Bangladesh's Shakib al Hasan is a very capable cricketer who can bat a bit and bowl a bit, but I wasn't expecting him to become number one in the ICC Test all-rounder league table at the age of only 24. Perhaps it is because we have become so used to Jacques Kallis at the top that it is such a surprise. However, his career-best 144 and 6-82 against Pakistan this week elevated him to the pinnacle, displacing the veteran South African after a decade's supremacy.
Maybe Shakib's success should not be so astonishing. After all, he was already the number one all-rounder in ODIs and, if his country played more T20 internationals he would undoubtedly be in the top 10 there, too. However, I'm not sure whether he would really walk into any Test side in the world. Is he a better spinner than Daniel Vettori or Graeme Swann? He is just about a better batsman than those two but it would need to be a spinner's wicket to get him a place alongside, not instead of those two should Shakib suddenly turn English or become a Kiwi. Nevertheless it is rare these days for a genuine all-rounder to boast a batting average higher than his bowling average (35 against 31), something neither Vettori or Swann can claim.
Considering the rise of slow bowling in one-day formats, it is intriguing that the aforementioned trio are the only spinners (all orthodox left- or right-armers) in the Reliance rankings.
Apart from the legendary Kallis, only Shane Watson and maybe Dwayne Bravo appear genuine all-rounders in the five-day game, but world-class?? The others in the top ten are Broad, Bresnan, Steyn and Mitch Johnson, all fine pace bowlers but none particularly fine with the willow, save the occasional flashy innings late in the order. OK, so Broad compiled that incredible 169 at Lord's in 2010 but that's the only occasion when he got even close to three figures. Perhaps his time will come, although Shakib is even younger.
Many may suggest that he is merely the best of a bad bunch. Not like it was in the old days, eh? Well, back in the 1980s the world was indeed blessed with some excellent all-rounders, with Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and then Wasim Akram strutting their stuff. However, it was a bit of a stretch to consider Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall as more than just fantastic fast bowlers who could bat a bit. The Waugh brothers were primarily brilliant batsmen who could deliver competent medium-pacers while resting the big guns. The great West Indian teams? Nary a true all-rounder in twenty years but it did them no harm!
Can Shakib sustain his position as top Test all-rounder? Well, Kallis can reclaim his old number one status with some useful performances against Sri Lanka in the coming weeks, and both Watson and Broad are hard on his heels. I think it will help him not to have the burden of captaincy on top of his undoubted status as best player. However, if some of his teammates started to maintain some consistency with bat and ball, then he could thrive even more. His performance last week, as so many of his others, came in an ultimately lost cause, and that must drain the confidence a bit. For now, let's celebrate his achievement and see what a fascinating winter's international cricket can bring.
