Shakib Al Hasan: T20 cricket a challenge for all-rounders

Kingston, July 11 (IANS) Bangladesh's premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan believes Twenty20 cricket is a challenge for players of his kind but it is something he relishes. The left-armer is currently here for his Caribbean Premier League (CPL) stint with Jamaica Tallawahs.

"It's challenging (being an all-rounder in T20 cricket), but I love this kind of challenge," the 29-year-old was quoted as saying by bdnews24.com on Monday.

"Obviously I'd love to contribute more, but at this moment with the way things are going, I'm happy. But as a team, and myself, we can always improve."

Shakib's team has won two matches and lost another in the three games it has played so far in the tournament. Having played all three matches, Shakib has grabbed two wickets and scored 32 runs in two innings.

Looking to give his team a boost, he is determined to help Tallawahs earn a victory in their next match, against Barbados Tridents -- his previous CPL side in 2013. Shakib is the only Bangladeshi player featuring in the CPL, where he is playing for the second time.

"It's a very proud moment for me to represent Bangladesh and all of the Bangladeshis are cricket fanatics and they love their sports. So, they will be supporting me in the CPL," he said.

Shakib, who is the top all-rounder in One-Day Internationals (ODI) and second in T20s and Tests at the moment, also plays domestic T20 tournaments in India (Indian Premier League) and Australia (Big Bash T20 League).

"So far the CPL has been going really well. I hope that it will only get better and better, hopefully a lot of runs and a lot of sixes and a lot of wickets so the crowd enjoys it.

"In the home matches the crowds have been terrific, so hopefully it will be the same in all of the other venues that we play."

He was the first Bangladeshi to play county cricket for Worcestershire in England in 2010. He was also signed by Uthura Rudras for the 2012 Sri Lanka Premier League.