Habibul Bashar - leading by responsiveness

It is one thing to be the leader of a successful team. It is another thing entirely to have to struggle against the tide on a daily basis. But in Habibul Bashar, Bangladesh have found a captain who leads from the front, but can also cajole from the rear. His abilities as a batsman have long set him apart from his peers, but as Bangladesh find their feet as a Test nation, his uncompromising attitude is beginning to be echoed throughout his team.

The highlight of Bashar's captaincy came in St Lucia on Bangladesh's recent tour of the Caribbean. His first-innings 113, his third Test century, was precisely the response that the captain needed to make, after West Indies had struck with the very first ball of the match.

Thereafter, his team-mates took his lead. Mohammad Rafique took up the cudgels with a brisk 111 from No. 9. The bowlers rose to the occasion to secure Bangladesh a first-innings lead, and then it over to Khaled Mashud, whose maiden Test century enabled Bashar to declare the innings closed for the first time in Bangladesh's history.

From little acorns, great oaks are formed. By responding to the needs of his team and laying the foundations for success, Bashar has given Bangladesh heart, and the future of their team is looking brighter than ever.