Meet Bangladesh's 'best batsman, bowler and fielder'

According to his national coach, Shakib Al Hasan is Bangladesh's "best batsman, best bowler and best fielder". He is also the world's number one all-rounder in limited overs cricket, even though he did not touch a cricket ball until he was 15.

Two years ago, Bangladesh enjoyed an excellent 50 overs World Cup in the Caribbean, beating India and eventual semi-finalists South Africa.

If the team are to have similar success in England, then Shakib will be a key player. The 22-year-old from Khulna, a left-handed attacking batsman and a slow left-arm bowler who spins the ball prodigiously, is certainly appreciated by his team and their Australian coach Jamie Siddons.

"He is our best bowler, best batter and best fielder at the moment and certainly our most damaging batsman," Siddons told Reuters. "He is a real bonus for us and is dangerous as we now have a spinner who can bowl teams out. He is pretty extraordinary as far as his bowling goes. He seems to know what the batsman is doing before the batsman does. I liken him to (New Zealand captain Daniel) Vettori as he will float a few up, then will put the quicker one in, and he turns it."

Shakib did not take cricket seriously until late in 2002, concentrating before then on soccer. His cousin played for the national team and his father was an amateur footballer.

However, a talent spotting camp initiated by the Bangladesh Institute of Sport changed his life.

"Everything I learned was from there and the coaches they had -- Salahuddin, who is our fielding coach now, and Fahim Nasmullauddin," Shakib told Reuters in an interview.

Education Vital

Shakib said it has not been a simple decision to enrol at the institute. "When I got the chance to be admitted, that was a very big decision as I was in class nine and it meant I had to go back to class eight and study for an extra year," Shakib explained. "So my parents helped me take that decision, which was not easy for them. Fortunately it worked out."

... contd.

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