Mahedi Hasan expresses disappointment over inconsistent opportunities in T20I team
What's the story
Bangladesh cricketer Mahedi Hasan has expressed his disappointment over not getting regular chances in the national T20 team. The all-rounder said that the frequent exclusions have affected his performance. He was recently dropped from the second and third matches of a T20I series against Australia, despite a good showing in the first match, where he scored an unbeaten 29 and took a wicket.
Player's perspective
I only play the T20 format: Mahedi
Mahedi, a T20 specialist, voiced his disappointment over not being a regular member of the team. He said he often falls under the requirements of matchup or combination, which is disappointing for him. "Regret is often there, as a cricketer I only play the T20 format but even then I am not a regular there, more often than not I fall under the requirements of matchup or combination, it is disappointing for me," he added in an interview with T-Sports after the series against Australia.
Format challenges
One-format players often face long gaps between matches
Mahedi also opened up about the difficulties of being a one-format cricketer. He said that players who play two or three formats are always in touch with international cricket. But as someone who only plays T20s, he sometimes has to wait one or two months between games. "Somehow I am excluded due to team combination," he added.
Comparison
Mahedi's comparison to Test specialists
Mahedi compared his situation with Bangladesh's Test specialists, who also have long gaps between matches but are guaranteed opportunities once selected. He said, "If you look at Showrab (Mominul Haque) bhai, Mushfiqur (Rahim) bhai and Taijul (Islam) bhai...they also play after gaps, but in any Test match they get to play two innings, batting or bowling." The all-rounder noted that T20 is different and played in high intensity, it is a difficult game, one has to manage a lot of things in a short space of time.
Disparity
Disparity in treatment of batters and bowlers
Mahedi also raised concerns over what he sees as a disparity in the treatment of batters and bowlers in Bangladesh's T20 setup. He said, "I have always faced difficulties, ever since my childhood, and now in international cricket as well, you know, maybe everyone knows, I don't play on a regular basis, you have noticed, a batter of this country gets a lot of opportunities but it is not the same case for a bowler." The all-rounder questioned why the top two T20 bowlers aren't given the same chances as their batting counterparts.
Information
Mahedi has played 73 T20Is
As per ESPNcrcinfo, the 31-year-old Mahedi has played 73 T20Is so far, claiming 71 wickets at a fine economy of 6.76. His tally includes a couple of four-wicket hauls. With the bat, the all-rounder has scored 463 runs in the format while striking at 102.88. He has also played 12 ODI matches for the Tigers.