You don't need to consult the encyclopaedia to know which living athlete is a prime example of human endeavour against adversity. A few may argue but most will agree with conviction that a braveheart Mashrafe Bin Mortaza is second to none to don that unenviable tag.

With both his knees operated on seven times during a stop-start career spanning 14 years, this never-say-die cricketer, nay a pace bowler by profession, is a spectacular comeback story that the world has hardly witnessed.

The 31-year-old is now not only the captain of a Bangladesh cricket team that has just floored mighty England on way to a dream passage to the World Cup quarterfinals down under, but has assumed the role of a true leader on the field and is an inspiration to many off it.

"Oh, your captain with bad legs was brilliant," was how a lady at the Adelaide Airport yesterday described Mashrafe once she was convinced that we, a few travelling journalists, were from Bangladesh and were covering the ICC World Cup.

She was hardly aware of anything about Bangladesh, but the lady, like many others, noticed with curiosity how Mashrafe, sporting those pair of knee braces, braved the pain barriers while bowling at considerable speed and creating those outswingers to herald the death of two supremely fit English batsmen at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.

His bowling figures of 2-48 hardly tells the true story.

"I need to strap both my knees carefully before wearing the knee braces ahead of every game. These things have now become a part of my body. I need to be cautious before every delivery to keep my rhythm and balance okay. Diving is almost prohibited for me. The most disturbing aspect is the pain I feel with every stride. But I know I will have to live with it," Mashrafe will say if you are very close to him.

Mashrafe is the only cricketer in this World Cup who is a prime suspect of breaking down at any moment. And he knows it more than anybody else. But if you ask him he will proudly announce that he would happily embrace it again while sporting that beloved Tigers shirt.

Against England he walked carefully between overs and took time to massage his creaking knees, yet he was barely able to run without a grimace, but he is not a man to give up fights for his nation.

Mahmudullah Riyad was adjudged man of the match for his maiden hundred; Mushfiqur Rahim got attention for his consistent batting; Rubel Hossain got the deserved accolades for his brilliant bowling. 

But the best thing that happened on Monday was when all the players jumped on their grounded captain after the fall of the last English wicket.

Inspiration is not a commodity that you can buy, it is something you acquire. And this is something the "Narail Express" has acquired with years of devotion. A man who has been married to injury ever since the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, had missed more matches than he played but whenever he came back, he came back to give the nation something to cheer about.

His honesty, dedication, devotion and love for the game are unmatched. Ask Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim or a young Taskin Ahmed; everybody will say: "He is unparalleled."

But ask Mashrafe and you will get a humble answer: "People love us too much but in return we give them too little."