Javed Omar      

With a priceless ability to occupy the crease, Javed Omar Belim has developed into the closest thing to a Test-class opener that Bangladesh have produced in their torrid early years of senior international cricket. A glut of one-day internationals early in his career did not help his development, but all complaints that he scores his runs too slowly were offset by a historic Test debut n April 2001, when he carried his bat for 85 not out, only the third player in history to achieve this in his first match. "Gulla" underlined his limpet-like qualities later the same year with a painstaking 80, compiled over 100 overs, in his sixth Test, against Zimbabwe at Chittagong. His maiden international hundred, against Pakistan at Peshawar in August 2003, gave Bangladesh a first-innings lead for the first time and showed the first glimpse of a new steelier attitude from his side. He has chalked up a half-century of one-day caps, with a highest score of 85 not out against Sri Lanka back in the pre-Test days of 2000, but it in the five-day arena that his obduracy is best received, and Omar was the only man to come to terms with England's early-season conditions on a traumatic tour in 2005. He reached double figures in all four innings of the Test series, including a brave 71 at the final attempt at Chester-le-Street. He remained in the Test frame, although big scores were elusive. However, Omar has been in and out of the one-day side and after a poor start to the tour of Zimbabwe in July 2006, he was dropped for the remaining matches and excluded from the tour of Kenya that followed. He also missed the Champions Trophy in October-November and the subsequent one-day series against Zimbabwe and Scotland. However, his vast experience and a good showing against Zimbabwe A ensured that he got a World Cup ticket to the West Indies
Andrew Miller February 2007