If cricket had a friend zone, Mosaddek Hossain and Nurul Hasan would be lifetime residents. Every season, Hossain and Hasan check all the boxes – they pile up domestic quantity, they are always fit, and they never lose hope – yet their names are inexplicably absent from almost every squad announcement! Bangladesh’s ODI squad for the Sri Lanka series has just been released, and again, these two veteran performers are not in it. But the explanations? Well, they have raised more eyebrows than hope.

 

Performing, But Not Conforming

 

Mosaddek and Nurul were not just very good in the Dhaka Premier League; they were exceptional. Mosaddek scored 487 runs at an average of 48.70 and took 30 wickets, which was the highest in the tournament. That’s elite-level allrounder stuff. Scoring 522 runs at 58.00 with two centuries, Nurul proved to be a pillar with the bat. Normally, these sorts of numbers would make selection a near certainty.

 

But, and here is the kicker: they are being judged against captains. Mosaddek is behind Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Nurul is still behind Litton Das, the T20 captain who has also become the ODI captain. It is like auditioning for a role that has already been filled – it does not matter if you are auditioning well.

 

The Captain Conundrum

 

The chief selector, Gazi Ashraf, was unequivocal. His stance was firm—Miraz and Mosaddek won’t share the same lineup. That’s brutal, but at least that’s upfront. With Nurul, the reasoning is even less clear. Litton is being prepared for the T20 World Cup while taking up a spot in ODIs, notwithstanding Litton’s recent form that has not exactly been ODI gold.

 

What is the premise — preferences for past reputations and o captaincy over present performance? Isn’t cricket supposed to be based on performance and merit? The questions of the day arise when domestic candidates with decent records are being omitted because the “team balance” of the team is keeping a captain, and we have to ask about future fairness and rationale!

 

Promises, Plans, and the Perennial “Canvas”

 

Of course, both players were told they were still “in the plans.” There was a broader landscape referenced; Ashraf referenced a “wider canvas,” Mosaddek was said to be kept “ready” for anything, and Nurul was “certainly in our thoughts.” But both players have been here before. Looked up to the skies at last August, last tour, last chance, always on the verge but not quite.

 

It’s not just selection, it is also transparency. If there is genuine consideration for these two players, they should be given an opportunity on equal terms. Don’t give them hope with ambiguous promises and then dash that hope with preferential treatment disguised as planning.

 

Mosaddek and Nurul are the epitome of the classic dilemma in Bangladesh cricket: reconciling superstardom with an opportunity that has essentially been earned. The present setup appears to favour a hierarchy over hustlers, which would be problematic if domestic cricket has any intention of feeding the international side.

 

So, what is next? How long can consistent performers continue to grind without reward? And perhaps more importantly, how long can Bangladesh ignore them?

 

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