Mohammad Ashraful      

On September 8, 2001, at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, Mohammad Ashraful turned a terrible mismatch into a slice of history by becoming the youngest man - or boy - to make a Test century. Bangladesh still crashed to heavy defeat, but "Matin" brought hope and consolation with a sparkling hundred, repeatedly dancing down to hit the Sri Lankan spinners, including Muralitharan, back over their heads ... and on his debut, too. It was the day before his 17th birthday according to some sources, and 63 days after it according to most others: either way, he broke the long-standing record set by Mushtaq Mohammad (17 years 82 days) when he made 101 for Pakistan against India in 1960-61. Inevitably, ...

On September 8, 2001, at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, Mohammad Ashraful turned a terrible mismatch into a slice of history by becoming the youngest man - or boy - to make a Test century. Bangladesh still crashed to heavy defeat, but "Matin" brought hope and consolation with a sparkling hundred, repeatedly dancing down to hit the Sri Lankan spinners, including Muralitharan, back over their heads ... and on his debut, too. It was the day before his 17th birthday according to some sources, and 63 days after it according to most others: either way, he broke the long-standing record set by Mushtaq Mohammad (17 years 82 days) when he made 101 for Pakistan against India in 1960-61. Inevitably, such a heady early achievement proved hard to live up to, and after a prolonged poor run Ashraful was dropped for England's first visit in October 2003. He returned to the side a better player, but no less flamboyant, as he demonstrated with a glorious unbeaten 158 in defeat against India at Chittagong late in 2004. Still not 21 when Bangladesh made their maiden tour of England the following year, Ashraful confirmed his status as one for the future at Cardiff, when his brilliantly paced century set Bangladesh up for their astonishing victory over Australia in the NatWest Series. But Ashraful didn't fulfil his evident potential on the tour of Sri Lanka that followed, often getting out to loose shots, and made little impact against the Australians early in 2006 either. An extended run of poor form forced the management to drop Ashraful for the final qualifying match of the Champions Trophy against Zimbabwe. He was also omitted from the squad for the home series against Zimbabwe in December but was immediately recalled after slamming 263 for Dhaka Division against Chittagong Division in the domestic four-day competition. He was appointed Bangladesh's captain in June 2007 at the tender age of 22. The next two years turned out to be the toughest in his career. Bangladesh failed to win a Test under his leadership, and save for ODI victories against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, the team continued to under-perform in all formats. His batting form too suffered in the process but he never expressed his wish to relinquish the captaincy. After a disappointing campaign in the World Twenty20 in 2009, the board decided to relieve him of his duties to let him focus on his batting. Andrew Miller and Cricinfo Staff June 2009

September 8, 2001
Historical mismatch
• At 17 years and 63 days, becomes the youngest Test centurion, even as Bangladesh go down by an innings in Colombo. Later says he had dreamt of Brian Lara's 375 and himself scoring a century the previous night.
  
March 10, 2004
A rare event
• His first international win. And it's he who sets it up with a 32-ball 51 to help Bangladesh reach 238 in Harare, eight more than what Zimbabwe would score. It is his 24th ODI, and his third year in international cricket.
  
December 19, 2004
India see the light
• Scores a breathtaking century against India in Chittagong - 158 off 194 balls, hitting 24 boundaries and three sixes. Is left stranded, as Bangladesh fall just short avoiding the follow-on. They eventually lose by an innings and 83 runs.
  
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February 4, 2005
Duleep Trophy misadventure
• Is named the captain of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) XI to tour India for the Duleep Trophy. BCB XI fail to score a point in the tournament, losing one match outright and one on first-innings basis.
  
June 18, 2005
The upset of the century?
• The century that rings around the world. Australia's 249 in Cardiff looks good enough when he walks in at 51 for 2, but the script is inverted by the time he leaves after scoring 100 off 101 balls. This is the biggest triumph in the history of Bangladesh cricket.
  
May, 2006
Sings up with Liverpool's Rainhill Cricket Club to play league cricket.
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April 7, 2007
Stings South Africa
• Plays a blinder to help Bangladesh beat South Africa in Guyana - their second big upset at World Cup. His 87 off 83 balls takes Bangladesh to 251, following which the left-arm spin trinity spins it web.
  
April 30, 2007
Natural progression
• Is appointed the vice-captain for home series against India. In a disappointing series, the real Ashraful turns up only in the last innings, where he scores a dazzling 67, but can't help an innings defeat.
  
On June 2, is named the captain for Sri Lanka and ICC World Twenty20.

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June-July, 2007
Captain as good as his team
• Although he scores a solid century in the second Test, his debut series as captain is a 0-3 disaster, Sri Lanka having to bat only once in each of the Tests.
  
September 13, 2007
Fastest fifty
• Scores, in 20 balls, what is the fastest half-century in Twenty20 internationals at the time. West Indies are at the receiving end of the onslaught at the Wanderers as Bangladesh chase down 165 with two overs to spare.
  
March 16, 2008
In a row with front row
• Is embroiled in a row when he is accused of scuffling with two men during the team's practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Under pressure following some poor results, gets into an altercation with two men after returning from a practice session; he has already been booed by some spectators.
  
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April, 2008
Where are the results?
• In about a year at the helm, has won only one international - as captain - against any serious opposition: a Twenty20 match against West Indies in the World Twenty20. Apart from that, Bangladesh have won three ODIs against Ireland, and another Twenty20 against Kenya.
  
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26 and 114 v Sri Lanka, Colombo, 2001-02
• Sanath Jayasuriya has been a touch condescending in sending Bangladesh in on a near-perfect batting track in Colombo. Jayasuriya doesn't want to waste time, and Bangladesh oblige by getting bowled out for 90, theb17-year-old Ashraful being the top-scorer. Further humiliation visited Bangladesh as Jayasuriya calls back Marvan Atapattu (201) and Mahela Jayawardene (150), and the two go down "retired out" in the scorebook.
  
158 not out v India, Chittagong, 2004-05
• The innings is typical of Ashraful, the timing of the innings isn't; for it comes with the Test still alive and it takes Bangladesh to just short of avoiding a follow-on in Chittagong, which could have resulted in a draw. Responding to India's 540 Bangladesh find themselves in a familiar state at 54 for 3, when Ashraful starts his special. Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh make no impression whatsoever, as the innings from Ashraful has the sense of the fearless, the authoritative, and the pure. He gets to his 50 off 70 balls, and if that is quick he increases the pace even more to reach his century in 125 balls: from 76 to the hundred he moves in seven balls. India don't know what to do: they set the field back, hoping for an error. In the end they have to contend with errors from the other end, as Ashraful stays not out for 158, the highest in Tests by a Bangladeshi. But with minimal support from the tail, Ashraful and Bangladesh fall eight short of avoiding the follow-on, and normal service resumes in the second innings as they fail to make India bat again.
  
100 v Australia, Cardiff, 2005
• It is just another normal, one-sided ODI - something expected of Australia v Bangladesh - for about three-fourths of a hot day in Cardiff. The pre-match odds are a suitable 500-1; Australia have scored 249, and Bangladesh are off to a slow start, getting to 72 for 3 in 21 overs. Nobody seems to have told a red-hot Ashraful that; he seems to be playing a different set of bowlers on a different pitch: Habibul Bashar scores only 47 in the match-turning 150-run fourth-wicket partnership. He hits 11 boundaries in a run-a-ball maiden ODI century, and by the time he leaves Bangladesh need 23 in 17 balls. Aftab Ahmed takes them over the line, and Ashraful has enacted the greatest upset in ODI history.
  
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136 v Sri Lanka, Chittagong, 2005-06
• For once this is a knock by Ashraful setting up the tune of the match, rather than playing catch-up or plain bravado when there is nothing to lose. Bangladesh have won the toss in the first Test at the Divisional Stadium, and have got off to a stable start when Ashraful starts dominating. He is quick on the feet, creative with his scoring, and cheeky against Murali, who is playing his 100th Test and will go on to turn the game Sri Lanka's way in the second innings. Ashraful hooks his way from 97 to 101, bisecting two men, 10 yards apart, meant exactly for that shot. His 136 comes in 184 balls, including 15 boundaries and three sixes, and leaves the game nicely set-up. And before Murali gets into his act in the second innings, the match is a close-run affair.
  
87 v South Africa, Guyana, 2006-07
• Bangladesh have never played better cricket for a sustained period of time than at the World Cup in the West Indies. Having upset India in their first match, and having made it to the Super Eights, they are looking to prove they belong there. Ashraful is the man to do just that, against South Africa in Guyana. At 84 for 4 in 23.4 overs, they seem to have fallen prey to the parsimony of Shaun Pollock and the aggression of Andre Nel. Ashraful and Aftab, though, launch a mid-innings assault, and Ashraful, in particular, is delightful. The drag-flicks and the paddle shots over fine-leg are audacious; Ashraful has mastered them long before they have become sexy. Ashraful's 83-ball 87 takes Bangladesh to 251, which is too much for South Africa who are facing the left-arm spin trinity on a subcontinent-like pitch.
  
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