5 Cricketers who took Bangladesh Cricket forward

I am always ready... Sweety!, said Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw to the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when asked about his readiness for the Bangladesh Liberation war. Little they knew they were not only creating a new country on the world map, but they were writing the script that would give the cricketing world a new tough colleague.Bangladesh’s performance in the ongoing Asia Cup cannot be termed as shocking now considering the rise that they are going through in the past years.Let’s look at 5 players who took Bangladeshi cricket to a new level,

#5 Mohammad Rafique

Rafique has taken more than 100 wickets and scored 1000 runs in Tests and ODIs

Being in the Bangladeshi team since their inaugural test match against India where he took a 3-wicket haul, Mohammad Rafique went to become one of the greatest bowlers in the history of Bangladesh. He holds the record of leading wicket taker for the tigers in Test matches.

Rafique broke into ICC top 50 bowler’s rankings and has taken 100 wickets in both Tests and One Day Internationals, the only player from Bangladesh to achieve this feat till date.

Rafique was included in the World XI team to counter Australia in the Super Series, 2005. His career derailed after his ties with Indian Cricket League which was followed by a ban from BCB.

#4 Habibul Bashar

Bangladesh’s first test victory came under the leadership of Habibul Bashar

The first sense of leadership in Bangladesh was developed by Habibul Bashar. He was the captain from 2004 to 2007 and is often regarded as one of the greatest captains for Bangladesh. The highlight of his career will remain the first ever test victory for Bangladesh, which came under his leadership in 2005 against Zimbabwe.

It was under him when Bangladesh started the upsets, beating Australia in Cardiff and knocking India out of the 2007 World Cup in the first round. With 24 half-centuries and 3 test centuries, he sowed the seeds of leadership in the nation.

#3 Mohammad Ashraful

Ashraful’s century helped Bangladesh beat Australia for the first time

Mohammad Ashraful was one of the foremost players who showed the nation and world the class of batsmanship in Bangladesh. He was a top order batsman, known for his classy strokes and flamboyant batting display. Ashraful is the second highest run scorer for Bangladesh, both in Tests and ODIs.

The highlight of his career remains his century against the formidable Australian attack in 2005 which helped Bangladesh to beat them for the first time, which according to Wisden was the “Biggest upset in ODI history”. He also broke into the Asia XI squad.

Ashraful holds the record of scoring the fastest half-century in Test, ODIs, and T20s for Bangladesh. In 2014, the BCB banned him for eight years after he was found guilty of match-fixing.

#2 Shakib-Al-Hasan

One of the best all-rounders to play cricket

Widely regarded as the greatest player to play cricket for Bangladesh, Shakib-al-Hasan became the first ever player in the history of cricket to become numero uno in ICC rankings for all-rounders across all three formats. Shakib has been a regular player for Bangladesh as a solid middle order batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox bowler.

He captained Bangladesh in the 2011 World Cup where the team registered wins against England, Ireland and Netherland. Shakib holds numerous records in batting and bowling for Bangladesh and no surprises, Wisden recognized him as a national icon. In November 2014, he joined the elite panel of players to score a century and take 10 wickets in the same test match alongside legends like Imran Khan and Ian Botham.

#1 Mashrafe Mortaza

Mashrafe Mortaza redefined leadership for Bangladesh

The man who redefined leadership and who gave Bangladesh a new face is certainly Mashrafe Mortaza. He is the one who has been successful to remove the “minnows” tag from the Bangladeshi cricket team.

He led Bangladesh in the 2015 ICC World Cup where he proved his leadership qualities to the world by taking the team to the quarter-finals of the tournament. It was under him when The Tigers enjoyed a dream run of winning a series against Pakistan and World Cup semi-finalists India and South Africa.

Mashrafe Mortaza united the team and ignited the spark in youngsters, making them believe in winning against any team and in any conditions. He also led Comilla Victorians in BPL to help them clinch their third title.