Left is right for Bangla

Dropped from the Bangladesh under-19 team, despite a cracking century against India in a practice match, Shahryar Nafees told coach Richard McInnes that this was not the end of his cricket and he would prove himself at the highest level soon.

Dropped from the Bangladesh under-19 team, despite a cracking century against India in a practice match, Shahryar Nafees told coach Richard McInnes that this was not the end of his cricket and he would prove himself at the highest level soon. That was two years ago in the World Cup at Dhaka.

At the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, the left-handed opener justified himself and the faith reposed by the Bangladesh Board in naming him the player of the year. Though critics may point out that Zimbabwean bowling was pedestrian, what made the 20-year-old8217;s innings stand out was his maturity in picking the loose balls and ability to hold the innings together.

Nafees, who is blessed with a sound temperament, comes from a cricketing family which also seems to have helped. The cousin of Farooq Ahmed, former Bangladesh cricketer and present chief selector, Nafees is said to be the next big thing in Bangladesh cricket.

It was quite symbolic as Nafees filled the XXL shoes of Bangladesh8217;s No.1 batsman Ashraful, who was dropped today. And that is something Nafees will be doing in the coming days. Nafees went from strength to strength today as his previous best was also against the same opposition. His maiden Test century against Australia was swashbuckling and, expectedly, the majority of his 123 runs were picked up in trademark style8212;with 17 fours and a six. His man-of-the-match effort provided the glitter in this contest that ended with an easy 101-run victory for Bangladesh.

There was another boy who stood out in this game. Saqibul Hasan is a year younger than Nafees and has been the only player in the side to come up with a sustained performance in all the three matches. On Friday, he first scored 36 in a crucial 80-run third-wicket partnership and then returned with the ball to make dents in the Zimbabwe innings. After taking three wickets, he capped a dream day with a stunning diving catch off his own bowling to dismiss Chigumbura.

Amidst a tight four man left-arm spin attack, the African minnows ran into the 8216;nowhere8217; zone with little coordination, literally. Three run-outs summed up the day with the only bright spot being Brendan Taylor8217;s half-century in chasing a modest 231.