3 reasons why Shakib is the greatest ODI all-rounder of all time

Shakib al Hasan made his Bangladesh debut in 2006 and has represented his country in 227 ODIs since then. He recently became only the 14th bowler to have taken 300 wickets in ODI cricket - putting him alongside some greats in the format. He took those wickets at an average of 28.96 and an economy rate of just 4.45.

Shakib also has an impressive record with the bat. He has scored 6976 runs in 215 innings at an average of 37.70 and a strike rate of 82.34. His average differential (batting average - bowling average) is 8.74 — the second-best among the 8 players with at least 2500 runs and 250 wickets.

On that note, let's take a look at the three reasons why Shakib al Hasan is the greatest ODI all-rounder of all time.

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#1 Performance in multi-national tournaments

The primary aim of the sport is to win big tournaments. Players who step up in these tournaments deserve to be rated highly. It's not an easy ask when you're up against some of the biggest names in the game.

Shakib al Hasan is one of three players with over 1000 runs and 50 wickets in 3 major 50-over tournaments - the World Cup, Champions Trophy and Asia Cup. The other two are Sanath Jayasuriya and Shahid Afridi.

He was brilliant at the 2019 World Cup as he scored 606 runs at a mind-boggling average of 87 and a strike rate of 96, even though Bangladesh did not qualify for the semi-finals. He also took 11 wickets at an economy rate of 5.39.

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#2 Plays for a relatively weaker side

Compared to some of the other contenders for the title, Shakib al Hasan has represented a relatively weaker national side. Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock were an integral part of a world-class South African unit, while Sanath Jayasuriya and Shahid Afridi played for two Asian giants.

This meant that Shakib did not have as much support. He scored 14.37% of the team's runs and 18.06% of the team's wickets in the matches he featured - a highly commendable feat.

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#3 Longevity

Shakib al Hasan debuted in international cricket as a very talented 19-year-old all-rounder. Since then, he has been a pillar of Bangladesh cricket across formats. His ODI career aside, he has also played 65 Tests and 110 T20Is.

He is also a very versatile cricketer and can adapt according to the team's requirements. He has batted at all positions from number 3 to 7, although his best has come as a number 5 batter. The flexibility in his game allows Bangladesh to field the extra batter or bowler depending upon the conditions.