Mohammad Rafique

One of the best players to have played for the Asian Minnows, Mohammad Rafique is a former Bangladeshi cricketer. Rafique was a valuable cricketer; he was a canny spinner and a decent lower-order batsman who bailed his team out on several occasions with his aggressive batting.

The off-spinner initially started his career as a left-arm medium-pacer but on the recommendation of former Pakistani cricketer Wasim Haider, he adapted to bowl left-arm spin, which eventually turned out to be effective. Rafique made his ODI debut in 1995 against their neighbours India and then went on to play a major role when Bangladesh tasted their first-ever ODI victory against Kenya in 1998. He opened the batting while chasing 237 and scored 77 off 87 deliveries, whereas with the ball he chipped in with three wickets.

The left-arm orthodox's maiden Test wicket was the prized scalp of Rahul Dravid on his Test debut at Dhaka in 2000. He came to prominence in 2004 when he struck his maiden and only international century against West Indies in 2004 and saved the day for Bangladesh. 

The Dhaka-born played a key role in Bangladesh’s first-ever Test victory against Zimbabwe in 2005. One of his finest performances came against the Aussies in 2006 when he scalped 9 wickets including a five-wicket haul in the first innings. Even though Bangladesh lost the match by a mere three wickets, Rafique showcased his class and temperament against the world’s best batsmen. 

Rafique bid a memorable farewell to Test cricket in his ultimate Test against South Africa after becoming the first bowler from Bangladesh to pick up 100 Test wickets. 

(As of April 2021)