Buoyant Mosaddek ready to showcase skills after Bangladesh ODI call up

Having earned a Bangladesh call for the ODIs against Afghanistan, Mosaddek Hossain is keen to get on the field and is confident that he can make his mark.

Sports Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 22 Sept 2016, 04:35 PM
Updated : 22 Sept 2016, 04:36 PM

He is the only newcomer in the squad Bangladesh Cricket Board named for the first two ODIs against the Afghans.

At just 20, Mosaddek has caught the eyes of many with his composed batting, useful limited-overs bowling and livewire fielding in domestic cricket.

Chief Selector Minhajul Abedin is one of them.

"There are cricketers whose talents can be spotted early. Mosaddek batted in domestic cricket with plenty of confidence. He has done really well over the last two years," he said on Thursday.

"He also performed very well in longer formats… [and] the Dhaka Premier League. We believe he is now ready."

Following a good showing in the Bangladesh Premier League last year, Mosaddek was handed international debut in a Twenty20 match against Zimbabwe in January this year but he failed to live up to expectation.

He is now keen to put his second chance to good use.

"Since my childhood, I’ve dreamed of playing in the national team one day. I had a different feeling when I was called up for the T20 team, but the call-up for the one-day team is a feeling of another kind," Mosaddek said.

"I wanted my debut in a one-day match. Now I feel at ease and I think I can do something good if I get the opportunity."

The fact that Mosaddek scored three double centuries - a record for a Bangladeshi player - and has five 150-plus innings to his name, puts paid to any doubt about his ability. His temperament, too, is beyond question.

He got his first class debut in the 2013-14 season, scoring just 24 runs in four innings. But the right-handed batsman showed his class in the three seasons that followed.

The youngster amassed 1,333 runs in 12 innings at an average of 86.08 in the next season and went on to score 194 runs averaging 64.66 in two unofficial Tests in Zimbabwe.

Last season, he made 734 runs at an average of 81.55 in 10 innings and took his run tally to 1,985 in 18 first-class matches averaging 70.89. His knocks included seven centuries with a highest of 282.

Local coaches are enthralled by Mosaddek's exploits with the bat. Sarwar Imran, Khaled Mashud, Khaled Mahmud, Mohammad Salahuddin have all spoken glowingly of him at different times.

He also received praises from Sri Lanka batting legend Kumar Sangakkara when they both played for the Dhaka Dynamites in BPL last year.

Mosaddek's twin brothers are cricketers as well. Mosabbek Hossain played in the under-19 team while Mosabber Hossain, too, has played for the Bangladesh youth team.