An unconventional shot that dropped jaws

A shot that dropped jaws – that is the mood in Bangladesh's cricketing landscape after Shamim Hossain's 13-ball 31 helped the hosts pull off their highest successful chase in T20Is, defeating New Zealand by six wickets in Chattogram.

Though both teams have since returned to Dhaka for the series decider, after the second T20I was abandoned due to rain, that one shot remains the biggest talking point. Facing Nathan Smith, Shamim played an audacious stroke, pulling a slower-ball bouncer over the wicketkeeper's head.

It was unconventional. The delivery, by design, could have gone straight over the bowler's head, but Shamim's execution left everyone stunned. Those in the press box instinctively tracked the ball towards mid-off and long-off, only to realise it had sailed over the wicketkeeper and into the boundary.

"Honestly, I don't know the name of the shot," Shamim said ahead of the series concluding game at Mirpur on Friday.

"But I always practice this in the nets. Because I know when I go out to bat, I like playing improvised shots. So, I practice these quite a lot," he said.

"The thought process is that when I go out to bat, the fielding setup is a bit different and that acts as a benefit," he said.

Shamim understands the volatile nature of his role. Batting in the lower middle-order in T20 cricket demands a fearless approach backed by instinct.

However, he did not always find support for his improvisation. Former national head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, during his second stint, was among those who labelled it "non-cricketing".

Shamim remained firm in his approach.

"Actually, whenever I go to bat, I always carry a positive mindset – that if a ball is there to be hit, I will hit it. If I can play a bit briskly, it's very good for my team," he said, adding that the team management backs his aggressive intent.

"Of course. It's not just the dressing room, it's also in my mind that I will play this way. In T20s, I always think like this," he said.

"I practice every shot in the net, especially the improvising shots, and the position in which I bat, these shots are required," he said.

"The position in which I bat, I have to take risks. In the back of my mind, I don't think too much, I always try to think positive. Since I practice these shots, I trust my skills," he said.

New Zealand are also trying to find ways to counter a batter like Shamim.

"He played a magnificent knock at the back end, putting us as death bowlers under pressure. That's probably an area we've got to look at and be better tomorrow," Dean Foxcroft said.

Foxcroft described Shamim's improvisation as unfamiliar territory for many in the New Zealand setup. "Obviously that shot was incredible. A lot of guys haven't played against him," he said.

"We know we've done our scouting now. And hopefully, we can come up with a good plan tomorrow and eliminate those shots again," Foxcroft revealed.