Shakib looks back with no regrets

A plate of kacchi biriyani was mounted in front of Shakib Al Hasan. He joked that people seeing this photo would assume he is the one eating at his own party. Moments later Imrul Kayes entered the hall-room and immediately pointed at his plate.

"Didn't I see you do a lot of running today?" asked Imrul.

"Yes, and this is my reward," replied Shakib.

For the record, Shakib didn't even go halfway through the pile of the rich concoction of rice, meat, ghee and potato - arguably the most famous dish in Bangladesh. During the opening ceremony of his business venture, he was more interested in telling his childhood stories. It is not every day that the country's biggest superstar opens up in front of a crowded table, so everyone paid full attention.

With his 50th Test just days away, it was quite appropriate for him to look back at the days of innocence when he was only a school kid, without all the trappings of a superstar lifestyle. It was a lifetime away, it seems, but Shakib remembered everything quite vividly.

Through many attempts to take selfies with him and people constantly posing behind him, Shakib, through fits of giggles, told stories about his most embarrassing moment in school, the time he did better than his roommate who studied all the time, when he predicted the questions in an exam paper correctly astounding a teacher or when he held an impromptu press briefing in the middle of his college exam.

A couple of hours earlier, in the press conference, Shakib had said he has no regrets at not playing more than he has - in his career span, 53 others have played more Tests than him, while Alastair Cook, James Anderson and Stuart Broad have played 100-plus Tests.

"When I was about to make my Test debut, I didn't think about how long I was going to play. I was enjoying the time. Not that the enjoyment has gone; it is still there. But now the environment and responsibilities have changed.

"I don't have too many regrets in life. I am glad about how much I have played. It would have been better to have played more Tests but I don't have any regrets. Performance is more important to me. I want to do well in this Test series."

Shakib said he was pleased to see Bangladesh's progress during his time as an international cricketer, adding that credit is due to everyone involved in the game in the country. "It is satisfying to see us progress in the last 10-11 years. The credit goes to everyone and it stretches back further. The board, facilities, support staff, coach, even the media, ball boys and the supporters, everyone deserves the credit. I don't think cricket is loved as much in India these days as it is in Bangladesh."

Shakib said the highlights of his Test career has been the win against England last year, his double-hundred against New Zealand this year, his 7 for 36 against the same opponents in 2008 and his 96 against West Indies in 2009.

This will be the first time he will face Australia in a Test match, more than 10 years into his career. "This will be the first time I am going to play Tests against them, having played ODIs and T20s against them at different times," Shakib said. "Australia and England value Tests, so it is exciting to play Tests against them."