A natural elevation
Bangladesh Test skipper Shakib Al Hasan was batting in his Bangladesh jersey at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium nets yesterday afternoon ahead of tomorrow's first Test against West Indies, but the eye was drawn to the adjoining net. That the left-hander facing throwdowns from head coach Steve Rhodes in the net beside Shakib was wearing a light green jersey with 'High Performance' printed on the back said a bit about how sudden the nature of Shadman Islam's maiden call-up to the Bangladesh Test squad was.
The 23-year-old opener was drafted into the squad as the 14th member after scoring a patient 73 for BCB XI in the warm-up match against West Indians on Monday. Although his last step to the top flight may seem sudden, his progression up the ranks has been as assured as his footwork seemed to be yesterday.
He has been playing first-class cricket for more than four and a half years and topped the National Cricket League run charts this season with 648 runs at an average of 64.8 for Dhaka Metropolis. His first-class average of 45.9 stands as a marker of longer-version pedigree and had given early notice of his talent in the 2014 Under-19 World Cup in the UAE, where he struck 406 runs at an average of 101.5.
Having walked the path to this destination for most of his late childhood and young adult life, Shadman did not cut the figure of the wide-eyed newcomer; instead his words revealed a measure of the quiet confidence and steady expectations that have brought him this far.
"When a batsman goes to play in the national team, it is better that he is mature," Shadman said when asked by a reporter whether the step up had taken more time than he wanted. "I think the way I have been playing, I have matured a bit.
"Although the difference between domestic cricket and international cricket is a big one, I think that having played a lot of first-class cricket, I know how to construct an innings and because of that there is a chance, even if it is a small one, for me to do well in the national team."
Most newcomers want to portray an image of infallibility in the lead-up to a possible debut, but it was a sign of Shadman's confidence in his own game that he did not feel the need to dress up potential vulnerabilities.
"The coach told me after the match that I played well but I could have made the innings longer, and that I have some issues with my defence that I need to work on. If I listen to his advice on the technical issues then I will play better, last longer and negotiate spin better."
He also plumped for Bangladesh pacers when asked how he negotiated West Indies' feared pace attack.
"We also have bowlers who can bowl quite fast in Bangladesh. I wasn't thinking about who I was playing -- just thinking that the ball will come and I have to play.
"It's everyone's team to play in the national team. I have played at all the levels and everywhere my aim was to score runs and go to the next level."
He has certainly been doing that and if he does get his debut tomorrow, it will be all the more special because he would be vying for a future position to open with the currently injured Tamim Iqbal, who he professed to be his childhood idol.