Yasir, the hero who duels with fate and social malices
Bangladesh's Yasir Ali plays a shot on day four of their first Test against Pakistan at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong Monday (photo: AFP)
Syed Faiz Ahmed from Chittagong
Publish : 30 Nov 2021, 07:26 AMUpdate : 29 Dec 2021, 07:46 PM
In all the epic stories, the heroes are not defined by their success but by their sheer willpower, tenacity and fights against the tragedies.
On the fourth day of the ongoing Test match at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in the port city young debutant Yasir Ali Chowdhury had to leave the field for concussion after a ball hit his helmet.
Most of the Bangladeshi fans got disappointed not only as it would halt the team’s belligerent comeback but also for being deprived of watching a young guy who was batting with the juxtaposition of art and power.
For anybody watching a rookie batting so confidently against a strong attack in tricky conditions, it was depressing to see him finish in such a tragic manner.
But the people who know him well, it was just déjà vu.
Like the heroes of epic, who toils, struggles, fights against all odds time and again, Yasir has already overcome many tragedies like mythical heroes.
The 25-year old has been battered with heinous body shaming, a life-threatening accident, constant negligence, and sheer bad luck on debut.
But every time he has proved the only thing that matters and that is to stand again once more and live for the cause.
“His life is not very smooth, but he never loses hope,” said Yasir’s father Shawkat Ali Chowdhury, who lives very close to the ZACS.
From very early age Yasir was a bit overweight and his father admitted him to local Bright Academy so that the game would keep him fit.
For his metabolic condition despite working hard, he fails to reduce weight but what matters most is his determination and will to work hard, believes Yasir’s boyhood mentor, Bright Academy coach Mijanur Rahman Mithu.
“Yasir’s hard work separates him from others, he is one of the most hardworking players I have ever coached,” said Mithu to Dhaka Tribune Monday.
Yet, he was never spared from body shaming and despite his brilliant first class career that has already seen him score around 4,000 runs, including nine centuries and 24 fifties in 57 matches with an average of over 50, discussion about his physical structure and suspicion about fitness overshadow his cricketing prowess.
Many feel, the mindset of body shaming and judging by the perception rather than facts kept him away from final XI of the national team despite being called for many a time in the squad.
As a matter of fact he first got his call up for T20 team back in 2019 for Ireland series following a brilliant season of Bangladesh Premier League, proving his dexterity in both short and long format of the game.
From then on he was with the team for as many as five Test series home and away but never made his international bow.
Finally, he made his debut at his home ground.
As a local online sports portal calculated, Yasir had to wait 918 days for the national cap after getting his first call up in the squad.
The wait was agonizing but a harrowing period of four months in 2018 was perhaps lot more traumatic for the right-handed batsman.
He was hit by a CNG auto rickshaw while he was traveling by a rickshaw to attend practice and the accident not only created huge physical damage but also left even the stout man mentally helpless.
He was in peak form and was hoping he would excel with tours with the ‘A’ team but another strike of fate created doubt within him whether he may return to his favorite green with willow in hand.
And he did.
The nervousness of Test debut and lack of experience of facing quality pacers made him shaky in the first innings when he was beaten by Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali.
But, from all his previous fights, he learnt, adapted and showed courage in the second innings to answer all the questions asked by the opposition before a slight misjudgment of reading the bounce of Shaheen Shah Afridi threw him out of the park.
“He will come back strong. He knows how to adapt and fight. He will never surrender,” said Rabbi’s proud father.
Not only his father but also a school-boy named Jeeshan, who came to the ground, said: “I want to hit like Rabbi bhai [Yasir], I want to play in the highest level one day. I am proud of this man from my neighborhood.”
It is impossible to forecast what Yasir will do in future, but Bangladesh may hope to get a hero who will be determined to rise every time he falls.
And that matters most in cricket, as Naville Cardus used to say -
“We remember not the scores and the results in after years; it is the men who remain in our minds, in our imagination.”
Yasir has all the attributes to become that man who will inspire others with his spirit, courage and tenacity.
Yasir, the hero who duels with fate and social malices
In all the epic stories, the heroes are not defined by their success but by their sheer willpower, tenacity and fights against the tragedies.
On the fourth day of the ongoing Test match at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in the port city young debutant Yasir Ali Chowdhury had to leave the field for concussion after a ball hit his helmet.
Most of the Bangladeshi fans got disappointed not only as it would halt the team’s belligerent comeback but also for being deprived of watching a young guy who was batting with the juxtaposition of art and power.
For anybody watching a rookie batting so confidently against a strong attack in tricky conditions, it was depressing to see him finish in such a tragic manner.
But the people who know him well, it was just déjà vu.
Like the heroes of epic, who toils, struggles, fights against all odds time and again, Yasir has already overcome many tragedies like mythical heroes.
The 25-year old has been battered with heinous body shaming, a life-threatening accident, constant negligence, and sheer bad luck on debut.
But every time he has proved the only thing that matters and that is to stand again once more and live for the cause.
“His life is not very smooth, but he never loses hope,” said Yasir’s father Shawkat Ali Chowdhury, who lives very close to the ZACS.
From very early age Yasir was a bit overweight and his father admitted him to local Bright Academy so that the game would keep him fit.
For his metabolic condition despite working hard, he fails to reduce weight but what matters most is his determination and will to work hard, believes Yasir’s boyhood mentor, Bright Academy coach Mijanur Rahman Mithu.
“Yasir’s hard work separates him from others, he is one of the most hardworking players I have ever coached,” said Mithu to Dhaka Tribune Monday.
Yet, he was never spared from body shaming and despite his brilliant first class career that has already seen him score around 4,000 runs, including nine centuries and 24 fifties in 57 matches with an average of over 50, discussion about his physical structure and suspicion about fitness overshadow his cricketing prowess.
Many feel, the mindset of body shaming and judging by the perception rather than facts kept him away from final XI of the national team despite being called for many a time in the squad.
As a matter of fact he first got his call up for T20 team back in 2019 for Ireland series following a brilliant season of Bangladesh Premier League, proving his dexterity in both short and long format of the game.
From then on he was with the team for as many as five Test series home and away but never made his international bow.
Finally, he made his debut at his home ground.
As a local online sports portal calculated, Yasir had to wait 918 days for the national cap after getting his first call up in the squad.
The wait was agonizing but a harrowing period of four months in 2018 was perhaps lot more traumatic for the right-handed batsman.
He was hit by a CNG auto rickshaw while he was traveling by a rickshaw to attend practice and the accident not only created huge physical damage but also left even the stout man mentally helpless.
He was in peak form and was hoping he would excel with tours with the ‘A’ team but another strike of fate created doubt within him whether he may return to his favorite green with willow in hand.
And he did.
The nervousness of Test debut and lack of experience of facing quality pacers made him shaky in the first innings when he was beaten by Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali.
But, from all his previous fights, he learnt, adapted and showed courage in the second innings to answer all the questions asked by the opposition before a slight misjudgment of reading the bounce of Shaheen Shah Afridi threw him out of the park.
“He will come back strong. He knows how to adapt and fight. He will never surrender,” said Rabbi’s proud father.
Not only his father but also a school-boy named Jeeshan, who came to the ground, said: “I want to hit like Rabbi bhai [Yasir], I want to play in the highest level one day. I am proud of this man from my neighborhood.”
It is impossible to forecast what Yasir will do in future, but Bangladesh may hope to get a hero who will be determined to rise every time he falls.
And that matters most in cricket, as Naville Cardus used to say -
“We remember not the scores and the results in after years; it is the men who remain in our minds, in our imagination.”
Yasir has all the attributes to become that man who will inspire others with his spirit, courage and tenacity.
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