Robiul Islam - The Bangladeshi steam engine

I first witnessed Robiul Islam at Lord’s three years back. Bangladesh were playing against the mighty Englishmen in a Test match. He failed to catch anyone’s attention. His actions had chinks while his bowling was pretty mediocre. A year later, in the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe in Harare, Robiul did show a sign of improvement but still wasn’t that impressive enough to cement his place in the national squad on a regular basis.

Time moved on. Controversies visited Bangladesh cricket and as well as relishing successes hugged the Tigers. There weren’t any dull moments in Bangladesh cricket while Robiul was working hard silently in the domestic arena. Robiul witnessed all the actions without wearing the national cap.  Robiul returned again in the national team against Sri Lanka at Colombo in the second Test match. The flirtation with the front foot while bowling dented Robiul’s aspirations to carry on the legacy of Mashrafe Mortaza. But he did impress with his length, pace and movements. Robiul came back home as a modest man and worked even harder to iron out his grey areas.

 Robiul never shied away from dreaming but chased his dreams to sign his name like a boss in the national squad where the left-arm spinners are rated the main force.

Robiul’s dawn was just breaking. Against Zimbabwe, we were happily astonished to discover a different Robiul Islam. This Robiul bowled like a man possessed. Robiul ran and bowled in as if a freedom fighter of 1971 was steaming in full throttle to demolish the enemy camp with a rare disdain. The action was much smoother and each delivery was as venomous as the bite of a rattlesnake. Robiul’s length had been accurate, his away swingers amalgamated with lively pace were sizzling, his inswingers, lethal yorkers and vicious nip-backers simply put chills down the Zimbabwean batting lineup. A pace bowler and not a spinner led the attack in Zimbabwe.  

From the word go, in the recently concluded Test series against Zimbabwe, Robiul bowled with aggression, an ingredient which is hardly noticed amongst the recent crops of Bangladeshi pace bowlers. Without any meaningless grumble, Robiul delivered for his team. He had been an absolute workhorse in the Test series – bowled long spells without any fatigue. He did the donkey work and as well as the demolition work to signal the rise of pace-bowling power in Bangladesh.

The spin oriented Bangladeshi attack has now a lethal pace bowler to provide enough oil in the bowling machine to hunt for wickets. It’s expected that the Bangladeshi bowling attack won’t be one dimensional anymore but it will dynamic.

Robiul is from Sathkhira, a small coastal town in the South West region of Bangladesh. He was infected by cricket virus in a very early age and worked through the league system in the region. He was picked up by the Khulna divisional side in the National Cricket League and his start was dazzling – a 5-wicket haul just in his second match and finished the 2005-06 season with 13 wickets. The following two seasons were dull but he returned with a bang in the next season with a haul of 71 wickets. Robiul was then picked for the national side. But a dull debut didn’t dent his confidence and he put sterner efforts to command his place in the team.

Pace bowling is Bangladesh’s major worry. Other than the larger-than-life Mashrafe Mortaza, there have not been any encouraging pacers to boost the Bangladeshi attack. There have been many promising customers but they faded away in the course of time. Amid this hopeless situation, Robiul is giving Bangladesh hope. His impressive exhibitions against Zimbabwe indicates that he has the huger and fire in his belly to become the perfect torch bearer of fast-bowling in Bangladesh. But still, Robiul has to go a long way in this topsy-turvy world of international cricket. Small battles have to be won with patience and grit; big battles have to be conquered like a Lion. Is he the man Bangladesh is looking for? Is he the Bangladeshi stem engine? I think he’s the Bangladeshi steam engine; he’s the hope of Bangladesh’s fast-bowling!

Thank You

Faisal Caesar