The Khans of Chittagong

Cricket accounts for most of the landmarks in Kazir Deuri, a neighbourhood south of the city centre. This is the location of the MA Aziz Stadium, the site of the national side's first Test victory, in 2005. Close by lies Abedin Colony, which gave the country the batting maestro Minhajul Abedin. A stone's throw away lies the popular Khwaza restaurant and, one street away, is the residence of the family that owns the eatery. Anyone you meet will point it out as "Akram bhai's house".

The generously proportioned 1970s-style building is home to as many as three international players who count 187 international caps among them - and the number will grow further, thanks to Bangladesh's current batting sensation Tamim Iqbal. Tamim is a nephew of Akram Khan and a brother of Nafees Iqbal, two cricketers whose brief international careers in no way sum up their contribution to Bangladesh cricket.

When Tamim was eight years old, Akram played an innings that is still spoken of in revering tones in Bangladesh's cricketing corridors. Facing Netherlands in a crucial ICC Trophy match in Kuala Lumpur in 1997, Bangladesh were 15 for 4 when Akram walked in. Locals clutching their radios a little closer to their ears were paid back in full when the swashbuckling player hit an unbeaten 68.

"I remember every single minute of that match. It was the innings that changed Bangladesh cricket," Saiful Islam, a local resident, says. "I was only 17 then but I remember Akram did it all by himself. It was a rainy evening … and we all celebrated by thronging his house and chanting his name," he adds, his eyes bright with delight.

Tamim, too, remembers that episode well. "My first real memory of cricket is of everyone going 'Akram Khan, Akram Khan' after the ICC Trophy match."

That innings transformed Akram Khan into the biggest name in the country, an honour he justified when he piloted the team to triumph in the ICC Trophy. His 40-odd against Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup confirmed him as the country's first major international star.

"Akram bhai has always been an inspiration," Sajjadul Haque, a left-arm spinner in Dhaka's First Division Cricket League side Indira Road, says. "And he is one of the nicest people around. Whenever anyone needs a team in Dhaka, he would go in to bat for them."

Akram retired in 2003 but was attached to the domestic game till 2007, grooming his nephews - Nafees and Tamim - for the national side.

Though Akram was the first to bring cricket into Tamim's life, it was Tamim's father, the late Iqbal Khan, who influenced him the most. "His support can't be described in words. It is sad that he never got to see my brother's [Nafees] or my international career," says Tamim.

While his father influenced his life, it was Akram and Nafees who shaped the left-hander's initial innings in local cricket. Nafees advised Tamim to play in the Premier League, while Akram ensured Tamim's graduation to a big team (Old DOHS Sporting Club) after he had piled up the runs for the relatively smaller Orient Sporting Club.

In present day Chittagong, it is Tamim and Nafees who rule the roost. "Tamim is a really good boy. More than anything, I enjoy watching him bat. His whole attitude is so positive," Sohel Rana, a regular spectator at the international matches played at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium, says. "He has all the ingredients of a Khan. He is aggressive, entertaining and never loses the smile on his face."

Minhaz Uddin Khan, a resident of Enayet Bazar and a childhood friend of Tamim's, says that not only does their cricketing ability make the Khans stand apart, their hospitality is remarkable as well. "Nobody can ever leave their house without having a meal. Aunty [Nusrat Iqbal] will never allow it," says Minhaz, now a budding sports journalist.

Even today, when Tamim returns to Chittagong during his breaks from international tours, local tournaments and training camps, the house is full of friends and family. "It doesn't take much to bring on a celebration in that house. We have rooftop picnics, barbeques, etc and there is always fun and laughter," Minhaz says. "The typical traits of a Chittagonian - a large heart, sense of humour and humility - are all there in Tamim, despite his modern upbringing. Every holiday must be spent either with family members at home or in Cox's Bazar with friends."

Akram made Bangladesh weep for joy in 1997, Nafees allowed the country to heave a sigh of relief with his maiden century in the important drawn Test against Zimbabwe in 2005, and Tamim brought his fans across the world to their feet with his half-century against India in the 2007 World Cup.

Cricket may be in their Khan blood, but Chittagonians would still like to believe that it is their city that makes them so enterprising and lovable.