Pallekele, Sri Lanka – In a World Cup shaped by heavyweights and hard lessons, Oman found a quiet force of resistance in 38-year-old left-arm spinner Shakeel Ahmed.
Though the Duleep Mendis-coached team exited at the group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, Ahmed’s spells offered rare moments of control, craft and belief against elite opposition.
Oman’s Group B campaign already saw defeats to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Ireland by huge margins. Ahmed featured in two of those three matches and emerged as Oman’s most incisive bowler, delivering performances that resonated beyond results with the team’s final game coming up against Australia at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 20, Friday.
Ahmed’s defining performance so far came against Ireland at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, where he returned figures of 3 for 33, a spell built on variation, angle and fearless intent. He dismantled the top order early, claiming the wickets of the top three batters inside the powerplay.
On the last ball of the fifth over, Shakeel castled Harry Tector and celebrated by recreating the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo “CR7” jump, adding a unique personal flair to a standout spell.
The dismissal showcased his subtle deception: slower through the air, drifting just enough to beat the outside edge and shave the top of off. It was a sequence that captured his method: minimal turn, maximum disruption.
The wicket was Ahmed’s third dismissal in the match, having earlier removed Irish openers Tim Tector and Ross Adair, and cemented his status as Oman’s spark in the innings.
Ahmed had castled Tim in the first over of the game with a skiddy length ball that hurried through to crash into the stumps and then sent back Adair in his second before Harry’s wicket with a peach of a delivery.
“I have been part of the national setup for the past two and a half years and my aim is to play a role in Oman’s wins,” Ahmed said ahead of Oman’s final fixture against Australia. “We haven’t won games here yet in the World Cup, but I was happy to contribute. Every wicket is important.”
Against Zimbabwe in the opening Group B clash of Oman, Ahmed again provided structure in a difficult contest, returning 2 for 27 and applying control during the middle overs when momentum threatened to run away from Oman.
His ability to attack the stumps and rush batters with pace through the air reinforced his value as a strike option rather than merely a containing spinner.
Even in preparatory matches, his influence had been visible, including a tidy 2 for 24 against Sri Lanka A, underlining a growing confidence in international conditions.
A washout between Zimbabwe and Ireland at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday also ended the Super Eights hopes of Australia, turning Oman’s final outing into a match of pride rather than progression with both teams along with Ireland eliminated. Co-hosts Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe advanced to the Super Eights from Group B with six and five points respectively from three matches. Ireland ended their campaign with three points and Australia have two points with a game in hand against winless Oman.
Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe meet in their final group game to determine the leader in the group.
India (Group A), West Indies and England (Group C), South Africa and New Zealand (Group D) have confirmed their spots in the Super Eights. Pakistan joined the Super Eights after their thumping win against Namibia in Group A on Wednesday.
For Ahmed, however, the World Cup retained meaning. “This is my second T20 World Cup after the 2024 edition in the West Indies and USA,” he said. “It’s thrilling to face the best teams. We don’t have anything to lose. We learn from these experiences, and I hope we can spring a surprise against the mighty Aussies.”
His outlook mirrors Oman’s journey at the World Cup, a side learning from tough matches and gaining experience that will serve them in future tournaments.
