Shahriar Hossain - Bangladesh - Batsman

He played just three Tests, but Shahriar Hossain took part in Bangladesh’s inaugural Test and he faced the first ball. He had to wait for more than three years to make another appearance in the longest format, but ended up playing just three Tests with a highest score of 48.

Born in Narayanganj, Shahriar shot to fame in March 1999 when he scored a gritty 95 against a potent Kenya bowling attack at Dhaka in the Meril International Cricket Tournament. Had he scored five more runs, Hossain would have been the first Bangladeshi centurion. A couple of months later in a World Cup fixture, Shahriar countered the formidable troika of pacers - Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar - scoring a useful 39 at the top of the order which set the platform for the Bangladeshis to register one of their most memorable wins in the 20th century.

Injuries did play a massive (negative) role in his career. Though he made a comeback after recovering, indifferent form coupled with further fitness issues put an end to his career.

Written by Nikhil Jadhav