Naeem Islam

A right handed middle order batsman and a part time off spinner, Naeem Islam made his domestic debut in the 2004-05 season for Rajshahi division, having already played in the 2003-04 Under 19 World Cup where Bangladeh won the Plate Champions. He became a regular member in the Bangladesh representative youth teams and played through the 2007 season. He was the captain of the Bangladesh Academy side that toured Sri Lanka and returned with 304 runs at an average of around 44 from 6 matches. In 2008, when there was a mass exodus of Bangladeshi players to the rebel Indian Cricket League, Naeem Islam got his chance to represent Bangladesh.

Termed as a 'young and talented batsman' by the Chief Selector Rafiqul Alam, Naeem made his ODI debut in a home series against the visiting New Zealand side. Naeem played in all the three matches and had an unfortunate start in his first innings where he was run out without facing a ball. He top scored in the third and final match with a 46 not out but that was not enough to stop New Zealand from emerging winners.

That helped him get a spot in the Test squad in the same series and he made his debut against New Zealand at Chittagong. He scored his maiden half century in a match against Zimbabwe in 2009, where he helped Bangladesh clinch a thriller with a superb unbeaten 73 run knock. His abilities with the bat and the ball made him more successful in the shorter formats and Naeem Islam went on to become a regular member of the Bangladesh limited overs squad. He was selected for the World Cup in 2011.

The all-rounder is yet to establish himself in the Test squad, he is considered as a short form specialist. Although he scored a hundred in the first Test against West Indies in December 2012, he was not considered for the Tests against New Zealand in 2013. However, he played in the ODI series against New Zealand and was the highest run-getter for Bangladesh in that series. Even though he scored runs against the Kiwis, he was not considered for the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka in 2014, but he played the Asia Cup and had a forgettable outing as well. The selectors did not pick him after that for the T20 World Cup.

He played for the Sylhet Royals in the Bangladesh Premier League and was bought for a sum of $90,000.

By Karthik LakshmananAs of April 2014