ICC World Cup 2023: Athar Ali Khan Describes Shakib Al Hasan As World’s Best All-Rounder For Indian Conditions

Renowned commentator Athar Ali Khan opened up about Bangladesh’s chances to win the title in the upcoming ODI World Cup in India later this year. Athar Ali Khan highlighted that Bangladesh has a better opportunity to advance to the playoffs in this marquee tournament.

Veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will captain Bangladesh in the Asia Cup 2023 and the ODI World Cup 2023. Bangladesh is considered one of the formidable contenders in subcontinent conditions. They recently secured a series victory against India in the ODI format at home.

Best Chance For Bangladesh To Make The Last Four – Athar Ali Khan

In a conversation with Boria Majumdar, Athar Ali Khan highlighted that Bangladesh has a well-balanced mixture of experienced players and young talents. Khan mentioned that they have a quality pace bowling unit, unlike in the past.

“This is the best chance for Bangladesh to make the last four. When I say this to you, I say it with a lot of conviction and not just for the sake of saying it,” Athar said.

“When I look at our team, I know what I am saying. There is a very good blend of experience and youth, and unlike in the past when we just had very good spinners, we also have fast bowlers who can do the job,” he added.

Shakib Al Hasan led the Bangladesh team in 52 ODIs, guiding the team to victory on 23 occasions. The all-rounder last captained the team in a 50-over format in 2017. Notably, he is the current skipper of the T20I and Test teams.

Shakib Al Hasan Has Played In The IPL For Years – Athar Ali Khan

Reflecting on Bangladesh’s batting line-up, Athar Ali Khan labelled Shakib Al Hasan as the premier all-rounder for Indian conditions. Khan emphasized Shakib and Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL experience would benefit the team.

“The batting is solid, and in Shakib, we have the world’s best all-rounder for Indian conditions. When you add IPL experience to this, Shakib has played in the IPL for years, Mustafizur plays regularly in the IPL – you know that we have the team to do well in these conditions.”

“Also, unlike in the T20 format, where we are still improving, the 50-over format is the best suited for Bangladesh. It is in this format that we have the best record. So, I will not be surprised if you see Bangladesh beating a number of top teams, and making the semi-finals,” he added.

The 36-year-old was the third-leading run-getter in the 2019 World Cup. The left-handed batter scored 606 in eight innings with an impressive average of 86.57. He also picked up 11 wickets with the ball in the tournament.

Also read: Asia Cup 2023: ‘I Had Doubts About Shakib Al Hasan…’ – BCB President On New ODI Skipper