A relieved father returns
Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes returned to cricket yesterday after a gap of almost a month and a half. For a player like Imrul, who has been in and out of the team, it is always a challenge to seal a place in the Tigers' squad.
Such an opportunity beckoned when he was considered for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September this year. However, he had to pass on it as there was a more pressing issue in his life at the time and cricket became a trivial matter.
"Only the one who goes through this can understand the pain," Imrul said while trying to explain what he had endured for the past month and a half.
It was not possible for the 32-year-old to concentrate on cricket or anything else as his one-year-old son was suffering from dengue at that time. For a father, the utmost priority is always the well-being of his child and it was no different for Imrul, who had to forego a gilded opportunity as he was busy making regular hospital visits with his son.
Now a relieved father, who had gotten the assurance from doctors that no complication will recur for his beloved child, can start working on his dream of returning to the national side.
It was not an easy time for Kayes as none of the doctors in Bangladesh could figure out what his one-year-old was suffering from and he had to take his child to Singapore for better treatment.
"It is really difficult to stay fit [physically] if you are mentally unfit. I was out of cricket for the past one or one and a half months. I could not focus [on cricket] due to my child's sickness. Now that he is better, I will give my 100 per cent to get back to cricket," said the 32-year-old left-hander.
"I had an opportunity but I missed it unfortunately due to my son's illness. But it is not the end. Hope keeps everybody moving forward. And I also hope that I can make it to the squad for the India tour [to start in November]," he added.
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