Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam, who made his debut today said that his father Shohidul Alam -- a BCB official who was close to age-level cricketers and saw the transformation of the likes of Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, has been very supportive of his cricket career.

Many might have assumed that Shadman got an an easier path to the national team due to his father's position. However in reality, Shadman's father, who is a co-ordinator of the BCB's game development committee, has always kept out of the way of his son. Shadman earned his spot everywhere through performances, even his surprise national team call-up came after he performed in a practice match for BCB XI while playing against the Windies. Shadman recalled how his father supported him and taught him how to build himself as a cricketer.

"Obviously he has a big role," Shadman replied when asked what role his father played in him getting into the national team at the age of 23 years. "I mean abbu has always supported me in cricket and he used to take me with him to under-15 or 17 camps when I was very little.

"And from then I wished to become a cricketer and he advised me on my playing and even when I was in academy or playing school cricket, he was very supportive of me.

"How to play, how a cricketer needs to lead his life, he tells me all those things even now and I try to implement what he says," the cricketer commented on the lessons that his father, who knows a lot about age-level cricket had given him," he said during the press conference today.

Shadman was one delivery short of facing his 200th delivery today when he was trapped leg-before by the wily Devandra Bishoo. Before that, he faced 198 deliveries and he played them on merit during his cool as cucumber 76-run knock. In the process he became the opener to face the most deliveries in Bangladesh cricket in debut.

The opener showed very little nerve, playing his debut Test but when asked if he was nervous attending a press-conference, he said he was slightly nervous.

"Yes, slightly nervous but it's okay since you have to talk anyway," the cricketer said in customary fashion, much in the same manner he batted today.