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The rise and rise of Mohammad Ashraful : Legspin to leadership

M

Miraz

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
From Cricinfo,

The rise and rise of Mohammad Ashraful

Legspin to leadership

Khondaker Mirazur Rahman

June 20, 2007



Mohammad Ashraful's rise from nets boy via legspinner to Bangladesh's best bat was swift © Getty

In the winter of 1993, at Dhaka's Siddheswary cricket ground, the breeding ground of many Bangladeshi national cricketers, the local Amarjyothi club was holding its practice sessions. Several higher-level cricketers, including Mohammed Rafique, would-be international Khaled Mahmud and Bangladesh A opener Imran Hamid Partho, were part of these sessions.

Also a regular was a lean nine-year-old in oversized whites who would dutifully perform the mundane duties of a ball boy. Once the season ended, however, he disappeared, only to reappear the next season, and once again turn up regularly.

One day Mahmud, the club captain, asked him if he wanted to be a cricketer. Pat came the reply: "Yes. I can bowl some legspin. If you allow me, I can show you."

Mahmud decided to give the youngster a chance to bowl. The first batsman to pad up was Partho, a dashing left-handed batsman known for his mastery over spin bowling. The boy began his run-up with all eyes on him. To everyone's utter disbelief the ball, instead of being hit out of the small ground, deceived Partho with turn and bounce. Partho completely missed the ball and shook his head in disbelief.

Throughout the session, the boy caused all sorts of trouble for the Amarjyothi batsmen and was plainly thrilled at being a part of the practice after long dreaming of participating.

Realising they had a special talent on their hands, the club's officials signed him up the next day and, a day before the season's first game, gave him his first opportunity to bat in the nets. He despatched the ball to all parts of the ground with consummate ease. Later, the boy said," I am a bowler who can bat a bit."
Click to expand...
Read full from Cricinfo
 
Richard

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Read that... much as I've never rated him as a international batsman it's still a lovely story. :)
 
stumpski

stumpski

International Captain
The trouble with appointing a 21-year-old captain, is that one day he'll be a 24-year-old ex-captain.

Should have been Rajin Saleh I think (who's captained the A side).
 
TT Boy

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Cool story.

Although, I wonder what happened to Partho, the dashing left hander? The master of spin bowling was pwned by a nine year old. Topped himself?
 
Bouncer

Bouncer

State Regular
Richard said:
Read that... much as I've never rated him as a international batsman it's still a lovely story. :)
Click to expand...
Comon man, what are you????? Geof Boycott's Grandmaa?

Not every one is technically perfect. what last ten years have toght me is to follow the game wtih the realization that game has changed, and now there are going to be people who are not perfectly sound batsmen (the term from 70's and 80's).

Its the Game you love and like it or not, it is not same as it used to be, Demands are different, criterias have changed and so does the game and player.
 
PhoenixFire

PhoenixFire

International Coach
Bouncer said:
Comon man, what are you????? Geof Boycott's Grandmaa?

Not every one is technically perfect. what last ten years have toght me is to follow the game wtih the realization that game has changed, and now there are going to be people who are not perfectly sound batsmen (the term from 70's and 80's).

Its the Game you love and like it or not, it is not same as it used to be, Demands are different, criterias have changed and so does the game and player.
Click to expand...
Where did that come from? Richard never said anything about technique :blink:
 
Perm

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Lovely story, I'm a big Ashraful fan and these sort of things are really nice to read.
 
James90

James90

Cricketer Of The Year
I love the Mashrafe story. The one where it says he used to ride his motorbike off bridges and land on the back of trucks.
 
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