Shafiul: Wearing this jersey is the biggest thing in my life

[amar11432]

Wearing this jersey is the biggest thing in my life: Shafiul

At 21, Shafiul Islam has earned the kind of recognition in his country most cricketers only dream of. His four wickets only a couple of weeks ago helped Bangladesh clinch a sensational win against Ireland; on Friday, he went one step ahead, his unbeaten 24 helping his team not only register only their second win against a much-stronger England but also keeping their chances of advancing to the knock-out round in the World Cup alive.

The boy from Bogra, who spent quite some time with the groundsmen at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium after the match, spoke to the The Indian Express a day later — on his team, his playing days and on bowling. Excerpts:

Did you think you could win it when you walked in against England, the team eight wickets down and with more than 50 runs required?

* We were hopeful of winning this game till the end; as long as I and Mohammad Mahmudullah were batting, we just told each other to stay in the middle as long as possible. We were eyeing to play full 50 overs because we had plenty of balls left and we knew we could win if we remained on the field. The Swann over (which went for 16 runs) gave us the momentum, it put us within sight of winning.

How did you celebrate after the victory?

* It wasn’t anything wild. I just prayed and thanked Allah for this moment; it isn’t something common in our lives. The win was more important for us in the context of our recent performances.

Were you disappointed with not getting the Man of the Match?

* I don’t mind; it’s ok, what’s more important is to win. Man of the Match is just a tag.

Are you enjoying the recent fame?

* It feels nice when people notice you but I know it will not last forever. It’s better to stay grounded and be consistent. In the immediate context, it’s important we continue to carry the momentum ahead.

Tell us something about how it all started.

* It wasn’t easy. I come from Bogra, which is not really famous for producing cricketers. I was an all-rounder and went all around to play matches. A group of my friends told me about a talent hunt in Pink City and were going there, so I tagged along; they weren’t selected, I was. Later, I played for Brothers Club in Dhaka, sharing a small room and carrying my own pillow and bedsheet. Those were tough times but the club got me noticed. I played in tournaments that helped me earn about 1000 taka. I was selected for Rajshahi Division which helped me break into the national squad.

Tell us about your family.

* My father runs a small grocery shop. He never stopped me from playing or asked me to assist in his shop. I remember playing tape-ball cricket wearing a fake Bangladesh shirt back then, never expecting I would actually be wearing the real one some day. Wearing this green jersey is the biggest thing for me.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/we...afiul/761695/0

[Sohel]

MashAllah!

[Tigers_eye]

"It’s better to stay grounded and be consistent."

May he be blessed with more knowledge and remain humble.

Thanks for sharing.

[kalpurush]

Are you enjoying the recent fame?

* It feels nice when people notice you but I know it will not last forever. It’s better to stay grounded and be consistent. In the immediate context, it’s important we continue to carry the momentum ahead.

^^^ shows he is there to stay...

[roman]

"It’s better to stay grounded and be consistent. In the immediate context, it’s important we continue to carry the momentum ahead"

I hope he is not just saying it for the heck of it..
Let him carry on this form for a while and then we'll find out..

[amar11432]

From Cricinfo:

Shafiul the man for big moments

In their hour of need at this World Cup, Bangladesh have had a 21-year-old, unassuming, short-for-a-fast-bowler fast bowler rise a notch above the rest and keep them alive in the tournament. However, the Man-of-the-Match adjudicators have, on both occasions, overlooked Shafiul Islam.

Against Ireland, defending 205 on a good surface, when Shafiul produced swing in his 4 for 21, which included the dangerous Kevin O'Brien's wicket, Tamim Iqbal bagged the match award for his flashy 44 and a crucial catch. When he produced the runs against England, 24 off 24 balls from No. 10, to fashion an unlikely win the more orthodox 60 from Imrul Kayes was the favourite.

Thankfully the Pink City talent hunt didn't miss Shafiul five years ago. The two traditional feeders to this Bangladesh team are Bangladesh Krida Shikha Protishthan (BKSP) and the various coaching centres run by former cricketers, but Shafiul has come through the alternate route. It has been a relatively quick route, but one that has called for hard work.

Catching the eye of Hannan Sarkar, the Bangladesh batsman, at the talent hunt was just a start. Coming from Bogra to Dhaka was more difficult. The initial days were spent in dorms at clubs, but that was a small price to pay. That he had the natural ability to swing the ball made him a star in domestic cricket, and soon injuries to the international fast bowlers fast-tracked him to top-flight cricket.

A clear head and an ability to learn fast have made Shafiul the team management's favourite. They backed him even after he went for 69 off seven overs against India in the World Cup opener. They remember how he bowled that slower ball to Jonathan Trott at Bristol. Trott was single-handedly killing Bangladesh's dream of a famous win, and Shafiul produced that delivery with seven required off four balls. The mind and heart were both working at a time when both tend to malfunction. No, he wasn't Man of the Match even then.

"Self-belief is the key," Shafiul said of this habit of proving to be at the game-changer at crucial moments. In tough times, and times have been tough for Bangladesh of late, Shafiul is one of the few players in the team whose game doesn't look affected. The nerves from being under attack from Virender Sehwag are gone.

Shakib Al Hasan might not have been that confident of Shafiul's batting against the quicks, but his partner-in-crime last night, Mahmudullah, trusted him. "In domestic cricket, he has faced many fast bowlers, and has batted very well against them," Mahmudullah said. "It was a matter of time he delivered in international cricket too."

The turnaround began against spin, though, when Shafiul swung the bat and took a four and a six off Graeme Swann in the 42nd over. That's when Mahmudullah started believing. The momentum had changed and only sensible batting was required. Both of them found enough of that mix of sense and belief to take Bangladesh home to what was a one of their most important wins.

"It was very important to come back if we wanted to go to second round, and also we had to prove ourselves after the West Indies match," Shafiul said. That match award can't be too far off if he keeps keeping his cool when the heat is on.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cric...ry/505886.html

[_Rafi_]

More impressive about Shafi that he got beaten heavilly against India and came up with two match winning performences. I like this toughness.

[Sohel]

Originally Posted by _Rafi_
More impressive about Shafi that he got beaten heavilly against India and came up with two match winning performences. I like this toughness.

Exactly!

[lamisa]

they got riyad's name wrong there!

[Rabz]

Unassuming Hero, but the one we needed the most when the times were tough.
Its just the beginning for him.

[mij]

I hope he goes long way and continue with this form.

[Night_wolf]

masallah!

shafiul what will u do with a Man of the match?..u were Man of the Bangladesh is both ire and eng game!..that is more precious then any man of the match!

[Isnaad]

Originally Posted by lamisa
they got riyad's name wrong there!

No, its Mohammad Mahmudullah Riyad. So, they did not make a mistake.

Posted via BC Mobile Edition

[Isnaad]

Originally Posted by Night_wolf
masallah!

shafiul what will u do with a Man of the match?..u were Man of the Bangladesh is both ire and eng game!..that is more precious then any man of the match!

Yes. He is the Man of the match in both games in our hearts and that is what matters.

Posted via BC Mobile Edition

[AsifTheManRahman]

That's how it should be. Wearing the jersey should be the biggest thing in each one of their lives. A life outside of cricket should be strongly condemned.

[Beamer]

Dare I say, the biggest find of BD cricket in last five years after Tamim and Sakib, is none other than Shafi? I think so.

[Musfique]

Good find indeed. Shows that, the pink city talent hunt was worth it. Bu I can't help but wonder, how many other gems are hidden away in the small towns like Bogra, Meerpur, etc. . .

[sar2005]

Originally Posted by Beamer
Dare I say, the biggest find of BD cricket in last five years after Tamim and Sakib, is none other than Shafi? I think so.

I don't know how many in this forum will disagree with you but i am for sure one who will not. In his short time, he has won quite a few match with match winning performances. I was already impressed with his mental toughness but now i'm equally pleased with the humbleness of this kid.

May God allow him to wear this shirt for long long time!

[Fazal]

>> Wearing this jersey is the biggest thing in my life

I hope he remembers that even after he gains lots of fame and money, he never make the mistake that his captain made i.e. showing the middle finger to the fans or wholesale criticism to our past players who made the road for him, while he is wearing BD jersey. I hope he remembers its a privilege to wear this jersey.

Well done Shafiul....keep on surprising us.

[Ananna]

He is a class act.

[Murad]

Polatar proti amar respect aro onek bere gelo.

[Murad]

Btw he is the most populur Bangladeshi cricketer at the moment.

He has over 3500 fans in CI, Shakib has 2500+. Close to 10,000 fans in his FB page. Before the England game, he had only few hundred fans in his page.

[Nadim]

Keep it Shafi!!! Proud of you bhai!

[Rifat]

I firmly believe Shafiul deserves a county contract. i mean after all, it was against England

maybe a couple more performances will propel him in that direction.

[Rifat]

I think he had a 26 ball 50 in domestic cricket a couple of months ago....