Belvoir's impressive Cricket Albury-Wodonga Provincial import Hayatullah Niazi has revealed a fascinating background, which includes not attending school until he was 14.
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Niazi was born in Afghanistan, but moved to Norway as a teenager with his brother and was taken in by a foster family.
It was also where he had his first formal education.
"I was very excited and I loved to go to school because we didn't have that back home," he revealed in Wodonga this week.
"When I started it was very hard because I couldn't speak Norwegian or English, just my language, but I worked hard and learnt Norwegian."
Niazi had never seen cricket on television in Afghanistan as the family didn't own one, although he played with a taped ball, only moving to a hard ball in Norway.
He says he's the only cricketer from the Scandinavian country (population 5.4 million) to play 12 months round.
Earlier in the summer, Albury's Oliver Hald confirmed he is the only person from Denmark to play full-time, so it's remarkable CAW has two players from non-cricket loving nations who are starring.
Left-arm quick Niazi sits fifth in the association's wicket-takers with 32 at 11.8.
He also has 258 runs at an average of 21.5 and powerful strike rate of 95.9.
"I'm mainly in for my bowling, my batting I like to play hard in any situation my team needs me," he suggested.
"My favourite batter is Jonny Bairstow, I like a hard hitter."
Niazi's English is reasonable, but it's fair to say, given he wasn't in Australia during last year's riveting Ashes series, he wouldn't have known the English batter will certainly never win a popularity contest in Oz.
The all-rounder, who has represented Norway at under 19 level, moved to England in mid-2021 to join Market Deeping Cricket Club in the Lincolnshire Premier division.
Belvoir's gun all-rounder last season Nick Green is from the same club, while club stalwart Zac Simmonds also played there.
Niazi was coming off a terrific third season at Market Deeping, winning three awards, including bowler of the year (47 wickets at 13.3) at the Lincolnshire Premier division's presentation night last October.
He's also loving his first Aussie stint.
"I love the Australian weather, this year in Norway, it's been one of the coldest times in years, it was like 30 minus, all the winter is snow," he offered.
"Here is a proper summer."
Niazi has crammed in plenty of travel in his 23 years, which included a nine-year stint where he didn't see his mum.
He had an emotional reunion last year when his brother married.
A world away, the Eagles are the runaway minor premiers, despite two rounds remaining.
Belvoir is home to Wodonga Raiders on Saturday, while North Albury travels to Corowa, Lavington hosts Albury, East Albury is away to Baranduda, Wodonga makes the trip to Tallangatta, while New City is home to St Patrick's.
Nine teams remain in contention for the six finals spots, although grand finalists St Pat's need successive wins and other favourable results.
