‘He was an excellent team leader and complete gentleman’

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Shamim Kabir, the one and only legendary character of the Bangladesh cricket history, as he was the first to lead the first national cricket team of Bangladesh, he has gone forever but left number of his fellow teammates to recall their captain with great honour.

According to some of his playing partners Shamim Kabir was such a wonderful team leader who had an excellent power to convince the team-mates.

ASM Rouqibul Hassan another living legend of Bangladesh, who has the opportunity to play under his leadership from his boyhood, shared with The Independent about some of his happy memories with Shamim Kabir.

“Actually, what I can tell you about ‘Shamim Bhai’ he was my role model, I came to his close touch when I was read in class VIII, one of our elder brothers named Mustaque saw me playing good cricket in a match he told me, Babu would you play in our team (Azad Boys), I agreed, though was almost a baby.”

Shamim Bhai then played in Azad Boys and first time I came close to him, at that time I saw him very smart, came in the ground with costly sports kits when we came in practice ground with a trunk.”

Roqibul Hassan, who was overwhelmed with the living of style and excellent personality of Shamim Kabir said, “Shamim Bhai was very soft spoken man, anyway after waiting a long chance came to me to play when a regular player was absent. Shamim Bhai told me you will have to play and I batted at seven, as I can remember I scored 28 not out and he asked me whether I will open or not, as I was actually an opener, I made my debut as an opener in top fight in Dhaka cricket and it was with Shamim Bhai, I scored 78 and he scored a century.”

“Shamim Bhai was provincial captain, then I was student of class IX or X, that time I played outstanding cricket scoring four to five centuries for Azad Boys in a row, however, all of a sudden I had called in the then East Pakistan team.”   

“My dream to play first class cricket came true when we went to Karachi, Shamim Bhai was a playing member and again I opened with Shamim Bhai it was great debut with him in first class cricket. We played against Zaheer Abbas, Asif Iqbal, Mushtaq Mohammed, I scored 38,” Raqibul was feeling proud having the opportunity to be the opening partner of Shamim Kabir in first class cricket.     

“After the independence, it was really a happy memory with Shamim Bhai, 1973-74 in Damal Summer cricket we (Azad Boys) were playing against Mohammedan Sporting Club, suddenly a ball of Yusuf Babu hit my face, I got injury, I was on 98, that was not big but matter was that Shamim Bhai being a captain ran from the dressing room to field for nursing me, then I scored century and team also won, Shamim was very happy for that.”

“There were so many memories with Shamim Bhai, it was almost late hour of his career, Bangladesh was not ICC member, MCC came here as the fact finding team whether we can play up to the mark, that period I played for World XI against Pakistan in Pakistan, then I back home. Shamim Bhai was captain of Bangladesh team in three days first class match, after that I had opportunity to play some few seasons with Shamim Bhai.”

“Shamim Bhai was captain of Dhaka University team, he was has a clean smart image, smart dress up, he was president of Dhaka Club Limited actually, socially he was established.”  

“Shamim Bhai came of aristocrat family, his elder brother Ahmedul Kabir was the editor of Bengali daily Sangbad.

“All of my club cricket and first cricket debuts was under Shamim Bhai, I opened with him, it is really great feelings.”

“I saw what a disciplined man he was, still I tell to others how they should lead their life, dressing up, food habits, style of daily life to be a good cricketer, I  think him my role model, on the field and off the field what should be the manner, after playing, for some times was a member of BCB.”  

“In 1982 and 86 in the ICC Trophy,  he was manager the team, I saw him was very strict, he used to check every player’s room what we were doing, whether went to sleep or not.”

“In fact Shamim Bhai was a complete gentleman, I saw him a smart and disciplined and well behaved man,” Rouqibul Hassan recollects his memories of the days with Shamim Kabir. 
Source: http://www.theindependentbd.com

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