Nottingham, June 05: 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 reporters. "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 reporters in an interview.
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."
Education is important to Shakib, a quietly spoken, articulate individual who Siddons describes as "a super athlete". He missed the Asia Cup in 2008 and is now studying English after being admitted to the American International University of Bangladesh.
"The class started on May 24 so I will have to catch up," he said. "This course will help my cricket. And I don`t think I will miss too much cricket as they are keen to help me combine the two."
It is not surprising the university is encouraging his career for Shakib is now a national hero, adjusting to the constant demand for autographs and photos. When he scored 92 against Sri Lanka recently, to inspire a shock victory, he received more than 1,000 missed calls on his mobile and 700 SMS messages.
It is clear when watching Bangladesh, a team accustomed to regular defeat since their inception as a full Test team in 2000, that they are still having fun on the field. And Shakib`s favourite wicket of his career so far would support this belief.
"I once took the wicket of (South Africa`s AB) de Villiers, which was exciting for me because he had never before been out for a duck in Test cricket," Shakib said with a smile.
"We knew this before he came in and the boys were telling him `this will be your first duck`. We ran around the field afterwards and enjoyed that wicket very much."
Shakib`s finest attribute may be the way he has kept a level head despite his sudden rise to fame. His coach is hopeful this will not change.
"Considering our guys are not known for being articulate or for going through the school systems, he is one out of the box," Siddons concluded.
"He can speak to people on the street or a businessmen in a boardroom. He is down to earth and unassuming. I just hope he can keep his head on his shoulders and keep moving forward."
Bureau Report