Mohammad Al-Sahariar (born 23 April 1978), also known as Al-Sahariar Rokon and Al Sahariar, is a

Bangladeshi Bangladeshis ( ) are the citizens and nationals of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centred on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the Bay of Bengal, eponymous bay. Bangladeshi nationality law, Bangladeshi citizenship was fo ...

Test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film) ...

and one-day

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

er. Al Sahariar scored Bangladesh's first first-class century with 102 against New Zealand In their third match in the

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Shell Conference in 1997–98. Two years before Bangladesh began playing domestic first-class cricket. He was one of the original eleven Bangladeshi Test cricketers, playing in Bangladesh's inaugural Test against

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

in November 2000. He didn't have much of an international career due to Bangladesh's early stages in regular international tournaments, but did reasonably well in domestic cricket. Al Sahariar played 15 Tests, but patchy form led to his exclusion from the team to tour the West Indies in 2003; he played no further

Tests Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film) ...

or One-day internationals. Al Sahariar, widely known as "Rokon" was a powerful hitter of the ball and an immensely gifted batsman. But like most of the young Bangladeshi players at the time, he was a bit uncertain at that stage – which ball to play and which to let go – because on Bangladesh wicket you are just playing everything. By nature he possessed some quality shots in his pocket, which gave the distinction. Often he was seen smashing the ball all around when his teammates were struggling in dealing with the same kind of delivery. Al Sahariar consistently garnered praise for his excellence in shorter formats, but it was his standout performances in the realm of first-class cricket that earned him a coveted position in the Bangladesh playing XI for their historic inaugural Test against India in November 2000. Despite an unremarkable debut in the Test arena, Al Sahariar made a strong comeback in subsequent match against Zimbabwe, marking his first half-century in Test cricket. Noteworthy is the fact that is middle-order batsman from Bangladesh eventually went on to secure four Test centuries, all achieved in second innings, with a significant three of them taking place in Test matches held overseas. Sahariar left an indelible mark on domestic cricket, demonstrating his prowess while representing both Abahani and Mohammedan Sporting Club. A product of renowned sports institute BKSP, he honed his cricketing skills in various age-group teams before catching the attention of selectors in 1993 for a BCB Eleven, showcasing his adeptness at legspin bowling. Despite his appearances in representative teams globally, it wasn't until six years later that he finally earned his ODI Debut. The opportunity came during an impromptu ODI clash between Bangladesh and Pakistan, hastily arranged on the unusual final day of the Asian Test Championships' final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in March 1999. This delay in his ODI initiation adds a distinctive chapter to Sahariar's cricket journey, emphasizing his domestic triumphs and the eventual breakthrough on the international stage. Later in his life he moved to New Zealand and represented

Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay () is a region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region is named for Hawke Bay, which was named in honour of Edward Hawke. The region's main centres are the cities of Napier and Hastings, while the more rural ...

in the

Hawke Cup The Hawke Cup is a non-first-class cricket competition for New Zealand's district associations. Apart from 1910–11, 1912–13 and 2000–01 the competition has always been on a challenge basis. To win the Hawke Cup, the challengers must beat ...

. He returned to Bangladesh to play for Cricket Coaching School in the Dhaka Premier Division limited-overs competition in 2011–12. Al Sahariar moved into

with his wife (Pinky Mahjabin), three-year-old son (Sameer Al Sahariar), and was expecting a daughter to join their family later that year (Naisa Simran Sahariar).

Career highlights

*Test debut: Only Test, Bangladesh vs.

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

, November 2000. *Highest Test score: 71 vs.

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

East London East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...

, October 2002. *ODI debut: Bangladesh vs.

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, Dhaka, March 1999. *Highest ODI score: 62 not out vs.

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

, Dhaka, October 1999. *Bangladesh's first first-class century: 102 against

Shell Conference in 1997–1998.

References

External links

*
Al Sahariar
at CricketArchive {{DEFAULTSORT:Al-Sahariar, Mohammad 1978 births Bangladeshi cricketers Bangladesh One Day International cricketers Bangladesh Test cricketers 21st-century Bangladeshi sportsmen Cricketers at the 2003 Cricket World Cup Dhaka Metropolis cricketers Living people Cricketers from Dhaka Brothers Union cricketers Victoria Sporting Club cricketers Cricket Coaching School cricketers Dhaka Division cricketers