As a left-hand opening batsman, Shahriar Nafees is a rarity among Bangladesh cricketers, and at the age of 19 he was thrust into the Test squad for their maiden tour of England with just five first-class matches behind him. He hadn't fared too badly in those, however, with 350 runs at 35, and his Under-19 coach Richard McInness reckoned he had the talent and temperament to become a future Test captain. With Nafees Iqbal and Javed Omar established as Bangladesh's opening pair, the England trip was a case of watching and learning for Shahriar. He did get an opportunity in the NatWest Series, and cashed in with 75 in the final one-dayer against Australia. He made his Test debut in Sri Lanka in September 2005, and made 51 in his second match. He also got starts in all the one-day games, but converted only one into a fifty. Then in April 2006 he exploded in sensational fashion against the might of Australia, stroking his way to a brilliant hundred, his maiden first-class ton as well as his first in Tests, at Fatullah. His stunning 138, with 19 fours, set up a scarcely believable first-day total of 355 for 5 as the Aussies reeled. He added 33 in the second innings, and a brisk 79 in the second Test to show that this was no flash in the pan. Nafees was appointed vice-captain for the Champions Trophy in India in October with the view of grooming a successor for Habibul Bashar. He also won the Bangladesh's cricketer-of-the-year award for 2006. He proved that the accolade wasn't wasted on him by scoring a hundred against Zimbabwe but failed against tougher opposition in the Champions Trophy. His batting was instrumental in Bangladesh's 5-0 rout over Zimbabwe in December 2006. His batting form slipped the following year and in 2008, joined the Bangladesh exodus to the ICL, He was subsequently handed a 10-year ban by the BCB but revived his international hopes when he cancelled his contract the following year. He was recalled for the tri-series at home in January 2010. Prior to joining the ICL, he opted out of a tour of Australia for the sake of his studies and his main focus is to finish his MBA.
Andrew Miller and Cricinfo Staff December 2009