Bangladesh hope to spring more surprises after dream start

His cheeky paddle sweep has excited fans around the world. But Mohammad Ashraful fell victim to the stroke which he just about patented when he was dismissed first ball in Bangladesh's opening game against Australia.

'This game is ideally suited for such shots. Unfortunately I got out. But I hope to keep playing that shot whenever I can,' said young Bangladesh captain Ashraful after his team got off to a great start.

Down on one knee and trying to play the cross-bat shot - using the bowler's pace to flick the ball to the fine leg boundary - Ashraful missed his first delivery and was bowled. But his departure did not stop the rest of the Bangladeshis from beating Australia by four wickets.

At 23, Ashraful is the youngest captain on the international scene. He not only leads the test team, but also the one-day side as well the squad who played at the recent ICC Twenty20 world championship. Now he has added the Sixes to his portfolio.

'This is the first time I'm playing this type of cricket. This is the first time Bangladesh are playing at the Hong Kong Sixes. This ground is small, but excellent,' smiled Ashraful, who at 17 became the youngest player to score a test hundred, 114 against Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh stepped in as last-minute replacements for the West Indies, who cried out a fortnight ago citing a clash with domestic fixtures. The Hong Kong Cricket Association, using the connections of one of its officials, Sohail Murshed, managed to convince the Bangladesh Cricket Board to send a good team.

'We are very grateful to the BCB for sending a very competitive team at such short notice. We have one of the most exciting batsmen in the world in Ashraful, and these guys are very keen. They are very confident of doing well,' said Murshed, who is now acting as the team's liaison officer.