Shahbaz Ahmed

From bunking college in his third year, the all-rounder moved 1500 km away from Haryana to Bengal, stayed in a small 12x12 room, all for the love of the ...

In the 2021-22 season, he scored 582 runs and bagged nine wickets in five matches. Shahbaz would hate the food, was regularly labelled ‘outsider’ and even thought of coming back after he was banned from playing cricket. He (Tapan) took care of Shahbaz like his own son; even my endless prayers won’t be enough,” says an emotional Abnam. The all-rounder scored 509 runs with the bat and bagged 35 wickets with his left-arm spin. Chowdhury, impressed by Shahbaz’s skills, helped him to get into Tapan Memorial Club, and very soon, he became one of his family members. I have asked the contractor to make a bigger one in his room only,” he says. However, only after the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) conducted an investigation and gave him the go-ahead, could Shahbaz play again. Shahbaz told his head of department that ‘one day you will give me my degree and also felicitate me.’ And last year it happened,” says the proud mother. Ahmed and Abnam can’t forget the day when they received a letter from Shahbaz’s college that he had not been attending classes for months. Ahmed says, he is happy that Shahbaz has completed his degree during the lockdown. Because it gives them inspiration that if Shahbaz, who learned the basics of his cricket on these streets and went on to play for India, one day they can also do it. Even Shahbaz was a brilliant student, he got 80% in Class X, and 88% in XII.