Dhaka: Naim Shiekh has finally got the chance to relaunch his career as he was included in the Sri Lanka-bound ODI squad, albeit as the third opener.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Shiekh was given specific tasks by the selectors to strengthen his case for the national team, from which he was dropped after 2023. These tasks included improving his strike rate, which he successfully achieved to make himself available for selection. Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, chairman of the national team selection panel, stated, “Naim was given advice to improve his strike rate in one-day cricket, and he exactly did what he was asked.”
After losing his spot on the national team, Naim proved to be a strong presence in domestic cricket, amassing runs across all formats over the last few years. He worked specifically on increasing his ability to play shots around the wicket. “Earlier, I was struggling a lot against off-spin. I tried to figure out how to rotate the scoreboard without playing dot balls,” Naim told BSS. His shot range has noticeably improved, allowing him to play sweep and reverse sweep shots effortlessly.
Naim’s performance in domestic leagues underscored his ability to play shots around the wicket. He scored 471 runs, including one century and one fifty, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer for Dhaka Metro in the last National Cricket League (four-day). He then emerged as the top scorer of the NCL T20 with 316 runs in 10 innings, including three fifties, and maintained a strike rate over 135.
Continuing his consistent form, Naim scored 511 runs with three fifties and one century in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) while representing Khulna Tigers, earning him the Best Batter of the Tournament award. He also amassed 618 runs in 11 innings in the 50-over Dhaka Premier League (DPL) for Prime Bank, being the third-highest run-getter in the tournament with a strike rate of 121.89.
Despite these performances, Naim expressed frustration over being overlooked, stating, “Unfortunately, people just forgot my performance that I put in the last three years. So ideally, you have to play well consistently, otherwise it would be tough for you to keep you in discussion.”
Questions have arisen about whether Naim can carry his domestic form into international cricket, especially after Anamul Haque Bijoy’s failure to do so. Bijoy scored only 23 runs, including two ducks, in four innings of a two-match Test series.
While Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Parvez Hossain Emon have established themselves as the first-choice openers, Naim’s form may prompt the team management to adjust the batting order to accommodate him. “Your performance will talk about yourself. So my target is to play well and keep up the consistency wherever I play,” Naim concluded.