BSS, Dhaka :
Mosaddek Hossain Saikat’s sudden inclusion in the first Test against Sri Lanka raised an eyebrow but the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) selection panel made it clear that he was drafted to the fold due to some pure cricketing reasons.
The selection panel, led by Minhajul Abedin Nannu called up Nayeem Hasan as the replacement for Mehidy Hasan Miraz who sustained a finger injury during a Dhaka Premier League (DPL) game. Then they added Mossadek Hossain, who had no significant first class performance over the last two seasons. But Mosadeek scored heavily in the recently concluded DPL in which he made 658 runs in 15 matches even though his performance couldn’t make Abahani Limited champions.
“You know Miraz has already been ruled out and Nayeem has been out of cricket for sometimes now. Therefore we added Mosaddek Hossain. We’ll watch the performance of the both cricketers in the camp after which we’ll decide who will play the game,” chief selector Minhajul Abedin said on saturday.
Mosaddek scored just 104 runs at an average of 26 in the five innings of three matches in 2019-2020 first class season. In 2020-2021 he had improved number but still not convincing as he made 150 runs at an average of 37.50 in same number of matches.
Mosaddek made his Test debut in 2017 in Sri Lanka, when Bangladesh played its 100th Test. In his debut Test, he played a magnificent 75-run knock and then in the next year, he fought hard in the wake of innings defeat, scoring 8 not out off 53 balls. In 2019 against Afghanistan, he played an unbeaten 48-run knock but he failed in the next three innings, which led to his axe from the team.
After three years, the selectors want to pin hopes on him again.
The Sri Lanka cricket team will arrive in Bangladesh on May 8 for a two-match Test series which is a part of the 2021-2023 ICC World Test Championship. The first Test starts at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chattogram on May 15 while the second Test commences at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Dhaka on May 23.
