Man, this whole stat comparison idea hit me while I was just chilling, rewatching that Bangladesh game against India last year – you know, the one where Mehidy Hasan pulled off that insane spell? Got me wondering, how good is this guy actually? Like, where does he really stand? Figured it might be fun to dig into the numbers, compare him to other spin-bowling all-rounders. Sounded simple enough, right? Famous last words.
Getting Started: “How Hard Can It Be?”
First thing was finding reliable stuff. Headed straight to a couple of big cricket stats sites everyone uses. Plugged in Mehidy Hasan’s name, filtered for bowling all-rounders. Easy peasy? Nope. Immediately ran into questions. What time frame? Whole career? Last 5 years? Just Tests? All formats?
Decided to focus on Tests and ODIs over the last 5 years – seemed like a decent sweet spot to capture recent performance without going crazy. But then… who to compare him to? Ashwin, Jadeja obviously. Shakib? But what about guys like Santner? Or even Axar? Started making a mental list, then quickly scribbled it down before I forgot:
- Ravindra Jadeja (Ind)
- Ravichandran Ashwin (Ind)
- Shakib Al Hasan (Ban)
- Mitchell Santner (NZ)
- Shakib (obviously)
- Maybe Keshav Maharaj? Primarily a bowler but chips in…
See? Already messing up, putting Shakib twice! Told you, messy start.
The Data Dive (and the Headache)
Okay, list sorted. Now to grab the key figures. Wanted a mix:
- Bowling: Wickets, Average, Economy, Strike Rate
- Batting: Runs, Average
- Something extra: Maybe 5-wicket hauls? Or fielding?
Opened a spreadsheet. Felt fancy. Started plugging in numbers site by site. Holy moly, the inconsistencies! One site had Santner’s ODI economy at 4.5, another said 4.7. Ashwin’s Test wickets – one source showed 250 wickets in 55 Tests during the period, another insisted it was 247 in 54. Seriously, guys? Ended up spending an hour just cross-referencing basic numbers, feeling grumpier by the minute. More coffee needed.
Finally had a sheet that looked semi-reliable. Columns for each player, rows for batting and bowling stats in Tests and ODIs. Feeling slightly proud.
The Great Sorting Mishap
Time to rank! My genius plan: sort each stat column to see where Mehidy landed. Started with Test Bowling Average. Clicked sort… smallest to largest. Hmm, Santner popped up top? But Ashwin’s average was lower? Wait a damn minute. Realized I was looking at wickets taken, not average! Sorted the wrong column.
Tried again. Proper Test Bowling Average sort. Jadeja looked supreme. Ashwin close behind. Then Mehidy… actually, nestled pretty comfortably amongst Santner and Shakib in that particular metric. Interesting. Did the same for ODI bowling economy: Jadeja again bossing it, then Santner, Mehidy holding his own.
Batting average next, sorted descending. Shakib clearly ahead, then Jadeja. Mehidy… okay, maybe not as dominant with the bat compared to those giants in Tests, but his batting average was much better than Santner’s in Tests. In ODIs, his batting average actually looked competitive with Santner’s.
The Moment of Truth (and Surprise)
Stared at the sorted columns, flipping between them. Didn’t bother trying to make some complex points system; just eyeballed it. Where did Mehidy Hasan Miraz consistently land?
The revelation? He’s way more consistent across the board than I first thought. Especially with the ball. In Tests, his bowling average and strike rate were seriously competitive. Not Ashwin/Jadeja legendary level, but genuinely impressive for someone playing primarily on less spinner-friendly home pitches? That struck me. Shakib the king all-rounder, then Jadeja, then it felt messy – Ashwin less ODI involvement these days, Santner perhaps slightly better batsman in ODIs, Maharaj stronger bowler? But Mehidy? He wasn’t topping any single category head and shoulders, but he was solidly mid-table in almost everything. His bowling averages (both Tests and ODIs) were better than Santner’s and Shakib’s. Batting not Shakib/Jadeja level yet, but getting there?
Honestly? Felt a bit humbled. Started this thinking “Let’s see how he measures up,” half expecting him to be clearly behind. But the numbers told a different story – especially his bowling in the last 5 years. Dude is properly good.
So Where Does He Rank?
Trying to put a pin in it: Among current spin-bowling all-rounders playing regularly?
- Shakib still the undisputed king for Bangla bros (and overall skill with bat especially).
- Jadeja probably the overall #1 right now (bat, bowl, field).
Then? It gets real fuzzy, man. Ashwin’s an absolute Test legend but plays less ODIs. Santner gets the job done efficiently. And then Mehidy Hasan? I’d put him right in that next tier. Maybe even pushing for top 3 in bowling alone, especially in Tests? His stats genuinely hold up. Maybe it’s his age? Feels like he’s improving rapidly too. Made me realize we maybe haven’t appreciated just how valuable he is for Bangladesh.
Yeah, the whole process was way messier than just checking Cricinfo’s player comparison tool. That took minutes. This took hours. But arguing which stat mattered more (Economy vs Average in ODIs? Batting average vs strike rate?), cross-referencing data like a madman… it made the conclusion feel earned. Funny how that works. Maybe next time I’ll just believe my eyes. Except… we all know stats never lie? Or do they? Anyway. Mehidy’s ranking? Higher than I thought. Way higher.
