Mushfiqur Rahim and I are pretty much the same age. I first saw him play in a Test match in 2005, the year I graduated from High School.

We entered the real world together, he just entered one where it was much harder to survive and seemingly without the tools to do so.

When Mashrafe Bin Mortaza debuted four years prior, we knew he was a special talent in Bangladeshi cricket.

When Tamim Iqbal and Shakib came on the scene shortly after Mushfiqur, it was also quite clear that these two were unlike anything we had ever seen before.

With Mushfiqur, however, things were not so clear.  While his technique seemed solid, his slight frame made it hard to see how he was going to regularly clear even the infield. He had a few standout knocks in the initial years of his career, including a match-winning unbeaten 56 against India in the 2007 ODI World Cup. However, aside from that, there was not much indication that this was a player who would become an invaluable asset to Bangladeshi cricket.

Following his debut, the rest of the 2000s was a struggle for Mushfiqur. Until the start of 2010, he played 16 tests and 59 ODIs, averaging 23.4 and 22.4, respectively. His strike-rate in ODI cricket was a paltry 60. Shakib entered cricket like he was born to play it and while Tamim did struggle a bit in the 2000's (averaging 27 in tests and 28 in ODI's), his fearless aggression, style and flair rightfully convinced most fans and experts that he was the real deal.

Apart from a few flash-in-the-pan good knocks, there was one thing I noticed about Mushfiqur that did stand out and it would be what he used to transform himself into a giant of Bangladeshi cricket -- his non-stop energy. Behind the stumps, Mushfiqur was relentless and unphased. No matter who was batting or what the match situation was, Mushfiqur was there trying to bolster his own teammates and distract his opponents. His smile was infectious, his boyish charm was impossible not to be enamored by and he put everything on the line when he played a game of cricket for his country. Despite this, there was still a lingering feeling that this 5'2 dog was going to be all bark and no bite, but over the next few years we would see what he was really all about -- 100% dedication and commitment to the cause.   

Since the beginning of 2010 in Test cricket, Mushfiqur has averaged over 40 and if you exclude this year's poor performances so far -- the same can be said for his ODI record. From averaging 22/23 in the first four years of his career, to 40 for the remaining 15 years of it is not something that came about due to his inherent talent for the game, but for his professionalism. It was a result of his dedication to improving his fitness, strength and decision-making. Perhaps it is my bias towards a fellow North Bengali and there is no doubt that Shakib, Tamim and Mashrafe all achieved greatness; but if I were to tell a young cricketer who they should look up to among the legends of Bangladeshi cricket, I would not hesitate to point them in the direction of Mushfiqur.

Talent is given to many people, and the ability to maximize this talent and go beyond it is earned by a select few for me, no athlete in Bangladeshi history has maximized their talent to the extent that Mushfiqur has, and he did it all through hard work and professionalism during a time when many promising athletes from our country failed for a lack of these critical qualities. The impact that Mushfiqur Rahim has had on Bangladeshi cricket beyond his batting or wicketkeeping performances can also not be understated.

Compared to before, there are now very few young professional cricketers in Bangladesh who do not understand how important it is to work on physical fitness and mental toughness- two attributes that Mushfiqur has always been a shining example of. Watching him grow, develop and transform over the years has been one of the great pleasures of my life as a cricket fan.

While I completely agree with his decision to retire from ODI cricket, watching Bangladesh in this format without him will take some getting used to not just for me but for our national set-up. He has been our Mr. Dependable, which given how undependable the results of our team usually are, is a feat he does not get enough credit or commendation for. Tamim Iqbal, Shakib al Hasan and Mashrafe will perhaps always have bigger fan bases than Mushfiqur Rahim, being a celebrity is never something that came naturally to him; but his importance to Bangladeshi cricket history is as great if not greater than any of theirs. Thank you Mushy, thank you for everything you did and for everything you gave for our flag and for what it represents on a cricket field. We will always remember and be indebted to your relentless service.

Sameed Quasem is a businessman, sports enthusiast and occasional cricket commentator.