The boy who has it all

Like his idol Shahid Afridi, Sabbir Rahman can hit the ball hard, his leg-spin bowling can add variety in any bowling attack and there is hardly any doubt over his athleticism while fielding. The 23-year-old all-rounder thus earns the tag of a utility cricketer. There were no questions when he was included in the 15-member squad for the ICC World Cup to be held in Australia-New Zealand, despite the fact that an all-rounder in Nasir Hossain was also drafted in.

Sabbir, the cricketer from fertile Rajshahi Division, so far has played five ODIs and as many T20Is since making his debut in February last year. He has no extraordinary performances under his belt though it's too early to tell whether he can fulfil his potential, but the big stage that awaits him provides the opportunity for him to excel with his career.

He may have to fight with experienced all-rounder Nasir for a place in the playing eleven. The player himself said that he has no competition with Nasir for a place in the team and also said that he does not have any set goals, rather his motto is to play according to the demand of his team. If he plays then the team would love to see him contribute with the bat in the late order with his powerful strokes as well as make a mark with his leg-spin. Sabbir's fielding was praised by none other than the national team's fielding coach Richard Halsall, who believes that the well-built cricketer's agility in the field brought sharpness in this department against Zimbabwe in the last home series.

"I know fielding is a big part for a team. I can contribute to the team with good fielding and I will try my best to fulfil the desires of many. If I fail in batting then definitely I will try to make up for it with good fielding," said Sabbir.

Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud, who got the opportunity to see the player's development from his childhood first-hand and played alongside him in domestic matches, had high hopes for the all-rounder.

"I believe he has got the potential to draw the attention of the cricket pundits in the World Cup. His technique and style are almost like the Australians and South Africans, which mean he has got lot of energy. Just from his body language, the guy is always positive," said an excited Mashud.

"He is yet to make any big scores in international cricket, but he has got the ability because he has every shot in his locker. The most important thing is that he has got the ability to adjust to any condition very quickly. What he needs is to be more calculative in his shot selection. His bowling is not that effective, but he can be useful if his captain utilises him at the proper time and many may not notice that he can bowl an arm-ball with power. And there is nothing to add about how good he is as a fielder; he can be an example for others," added Mashud.

Chief selector Faruque Ahmed summarised in one sentence when he was asked about the reason behind Sabbir's selection: "He has got everything to be successful".