Sharif <i>shows the power of spirit</i>

AMPUTATED ALL-ROUNDER! 15-year-old Mohammad Sharif can bat like Tamim Iqbal, besides bowling like Shakib or fielding like Nasir, only with his love for the game of cricket.
Photo: Writer

Every once in a while we come across certain incidents that reinstates our belief in our own capabilities; that the resolute force present in us can lead on to miracles.
The story of 15-year-old Mohammad Sharif from Chittagong is one such spectacle.
Four years ago, a dreadful accident led to Sharif losing both his legs and his right hand. He was chasing a kite on the roof of their house and in the process was electrocuted with surges reaching up to 33,000 volts. For him to survive, the doctors did the only thing they could -- cut off his limbs.
A cricket-maniac from an early age, Sharif had always wanted to follow the footsteps of Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan and don the national cricket jersey one day. But while the accident may have spoilt his dream of becoming a professional cricketer, it has not hindered his love for the game.
Today, Sharif, who is an all-rounder, is the captain of a local team which includes children from his neighbourhood at Mazharbari, Kamalgate. They play every Friday.
"I can bat like Tamim and smack sixes outside the boundary-line, I can turn the ball like Shakib and get wickets and I can field like Nasir and restrict the opposition from scoring," Sharif says with a hint of pride.
"I have to perform in all the departments. After all I am the captain of the side and I have to lead them like Mushfiqur [Rahim]," he adds.
If you happen to spend five minutes in the region on a Friday, you would easily be able to see just how important Sharif is to the team. The two overs that he bowled in last Friday's game saw him pick up a crucial wicket. And with the bat, which is almost as tall as him, he dispatched many a deliveries to the boundary like an accomplished T20 cricketer.
If you feel sorry for him or think that life is a bit too challenging for him, all you need to do is have a chat with him. His high spirits and positive outlook towards life will convince you that there is nothing holding him back. But you can't keep him long, for in his eyes he has better things to do, like for example, setting his field right.
The second among two brothers and two sisters Sharif, dropped out of school when he was in class three. He now helps his father out in his business. He also sells fruits in his region to help out his family. But of all the activities that he engages in, it is the game of cricket played every Friday for which Sharif truly lives.