Dhaka: Opener Naim Sheikh credited his hard work and disciplined life for his recent success as he rose to fame once again by continuing a batting juggernaut with a series of match-winning innings in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The Khulna Tigers opener currently tops the batting chart with 444 runs at an average of 44.40. More than his runs, his impact has been standout. He scored at a staggering strike rate of 149, a number considered precious in the shortest format of cricket.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Naim has maintained his strike rate with incredible consistency, evidenced by his one century and three half-centuries, along with some impactful 40s in the ongoing event. He was indeed scoring those runs quietly, but today’s century headlined all the previous success as the knock came at a moment when Khulna was on the threshold of missing the playoffs chance. Naim’s century ensured Khulna’s handsome 46-run win over Rangpur Riders.
“I have tried my best in all the tournaments I have played recently. I try to utilize the opportunities. If I break it down, it will be too long,” Naim said. “I have worked in the off-season. There was perseverance; without it, you can’t thrive. I have worked hard, I was disciplined, and I think that paid dividends.”
A few days ago, he scored his maiden century in recognized T20 cricket in the NCL T20. This time, he scored a century for the first time in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). That too, at a moment when it mattered most. He carried the bat throughout the innings to blast 62-ball 111, a knock laced with seven fours and eight sixes. Thanks to his knock, Khulna posted a mammoth 220-4, a total that proved too hot to handle for Rangpur, which was eventually held back to 174-9.
Naim’s arrival injected a fresh breath of air into the national team, as his elegance and consistency gave Bangladesh a glimmer of hope to have a settled partner for Tamim Iqbal. But the left-hand batter seemed to go down the memory lane because of the chronic problem that every Bangladeshi batter goes through-consistency. Like many others, he was considered a ‘fallen star.’ But no, Naim appeared to do the real work quietly and behind the curtain.
“If I want to say it that way, I have to talk about all the coaches in domestic cricket. I have worked with Babul sir, Sohel sir. There is one named Anwar bhai. To name a specific one, I have worked on mind training, which plays a big role. Discipline is also very important. Of course, my family plays the vital role,” Naim shared the story of how he got back amongst the runs again.
There were also questions about his style of play. His tendency to play dot balls not only ruined his prospects but also dug Bangladesh’s graveyard in some crucial matches. The arrival of Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Parvez Hossain Emon, and others finally cost Naim’s place in the national team, where he last played in 2023. But the problem of playing dot balls seemed to have been figured out, as evidenced by his strike rate.
Naim said he has achieved success by challenging himself, “To be honest, there were no expectations. I want to keep the basics right and follow the process. I didn’t start with any expectations. There was no goal, whether I could improve or not… My own challenge was with myself. I wanted to improve just.”
“A change in mentality is definitely necessary. If this doesn’t come, it is very difficult to play long innings as an opener. Earlier, I was struggling a lot with off-spin. I tried to figure out how to rotate the scoreboard without playing dot balls.”
The shot range looked increased as he played sweep shots and reverse sweep, which were his weakest link, effortlessly. “And if you talk about range hitting, I worked on it. Three years ago, Mushfiqur Rahim bhai said that if I can work on reverse sweep, it will become easier for me. Now, sweep-reverse sweep in off-spin has become much easier for me due to consistent practice,” he remarked.
“I was good at slog-sweep before, but I was struggling to play this shot. It is a long story of how I overcame those problems. But yes, I have changed some things, so success came.”