Dhaka Capitals' English wicketkeeper-batter Stephen Eskinazi has had a unique journey in cricket. Born to an English mother and a Zimbabwe-born father in Johannesburg, he was brought up in Australia and played for Western Australia Under-17s and U-19s before joining English country Middlesex. In an interview with The Daily Star's Samsul Arefin Khan, the 30-year-old opened up on his cricketing journey and revealed that his international cricket aspirations revolve solely around England. The excerpts are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): Today was your first practice session in Dhaka, how did it go?

Stephen Eskinazi (SE): It's amazing. They are a really friendly bunch of guys. Some I recognise from international cricket and some overseas players. I'm sure I'll get to know others as well. Practice was really fantastic. It was really challenging.

DS: This is your first time in BPL. You were supposed to play last season but got ruled out at the last moment…

SE: I was really close. I was playing for Perth Scorchers. I was signed to play for Chattogram after that. While playing in a knockout game against Sydney Sixers, I got hit really badly on my index finger. I was out for three-and-a-half months. I was really disappointed that I could not come, when the opportunity came again, I grabbed it with both hands.

DS: Before coming here, you played in the Nepal Premier League, which was your first experience of playing in the sub-continent. How was it?

SE: It's insane over there. The support was something I knew little bit about. I don't think anyone can underestimate the support from the people of Nepal. It was fantastic.

DS: Where do you rate BPL in comparison to franchise tournaments you have been part of in Australia and England.

SE: Firstly, it's such a great experience as a person to come here, being lucky enough to see the cultures of Bangladesh and Nepal and hopefully a lot of others. That's one of the beautiful things about playing cricket at the moment. Secondly, from a cricketer's perspective, it's so good for my development as a batter. There are different ways of doing things in different conditions. There are so many experiences that I will be able to take back and share with my teammates back home and share it to the people that I like to talk cricket about. I've been so excited to come over here and I expect a fantastic tournament on and off the field.

DS: Your journey in cricket has been different to most cricketers. Personally, how do you feel about it?

SE: My journey has been a unique one, different from a lot of cricketers. I've been fortunate to spend so much time with so many amazing people around the world with the sport. To be able to go back and play for Perth Scorchers which is my home town and play with the guys I grew up with, it was really amazing. I love playing at Lord's, Middlesex and also in the Hundred. I have got some fantastic mentors, coaches and leaders from whom I learnt a lot. This competition is no different. To be sharing a dressing room with players like Mustafizur [Rahman] and Liton [Das] and other guys who are playing at the highest level, I'm extremely grateful for it. I hope I can keep doing this for many years to come.

DS: You carry both an Australian and an English passport. Who do you aspire to play for in international cricket?

SE: My accent might sound slightly different, but I'm very much an English at the moment. I've been playing in England for 12 seasons now. I have represented England A, England Lions teams. Yes, still a massive goal of mine is to play for England, particularly in the short format cricket. It has been really handy to have two passports. It has given me a lot of opportunities in life and sport. I'm really privileged to be able to do that. Hopefully, this Bangladesh experience can be another one to check off from the list.

DS: So, you don't see yourself playing for Australia in the future?

SE: I don't think so. You never ever say never. But I think I'm English. I have been playing as an English for a long time. I'm captain of Middlesex. I would love to represent Three Lions.