Calmness is my strength

Mosaddek Hossain (MH) had the challenging task of reviving the Tigers from the dire straits of 165 for nine against a team they were expected to beat comfortably. As far as debut matches are concerned, they do not get much tougher than this.

Bangladesh eventually lost the game, but his calmly carved 45 gave Bangladesh a shot at a victory. The 20-year-old spoke to The Daily Star's (TDS) Naimul Karim yesterday regarding his debut series experiences. 

TDS: At 139 for six, were you nervous going out to bat?

MH: Honestly speaking, before the toss when I came to know that I was going to play, my coach told me not to worry about my performance. He just said, enjoy your game and play the way you played for Abahani. There is no pressure. Then, when I went to bat, I kept telling myself that in the league I bat with the tail regularly. So I tried to use that experience in the match. My debut went well, but it would have been better had we won.

TDS: You have very good numbers in domestic cricket. But international cricket is completely different, isn't it?

MH: It is very different. You don't have crowds in domestic leagues. In international cricket there is a crowd and there is always pressure. I was feeling a little pressured when I debuted in the T20 format. I think it's something that comes automatically. But this time in my ODI debut, I didn't feel that way.

TDS: You seemed to gel well with the senior players in the team.

MH: I played with Shakib [Al Hasan] bhai and Tamim [Iqbal] bhai for Abahani and they supported me throughout the league. And so I was laughing a lot with them during the match. They supported me a lot. Mashrafe [Bin Mortaza] bhai did the same. It just made things easier for me.

TDS: Shakib in particular was telling you a number of things after Mushfiqur Rahim missed a stumping off your ball…

MH: I was actually telling him that bhai, had that stumping been done, we would have had a chance. He told me that these things happen in cricket and that there is no point worrying about that or thinking about that. He asked me to be tension free and asked me to bowl like I normally do.

TDS: What has been your biggest takeaway from the series?

MH: You see, no matter how much you analyse, cricket is cricket. International cricket to me before was an unexplored area. But now that I have played a few matches, I think I can play a lot more freely now. The shackles have been broken.

TDS: How does it feel when a player like Tamim says that you have the brain of a '45-year-old'?

MH: (Laughs) Actually everyone has a nature of their own. I am a bit calm and I think that's why Tamim bhai said that. I feel that is my strength, staying calm.

TDS: How have your family and friends reacted to your rise to international cricket?

MH: Everyone in my family was very excited when I debuted in T20I cricket. But now, everyone wants me to be in the team and play for a longer time.

TDS: Do you think it will be difficult for you to find a permanent place in the side?

MH: There was a time in Bangladesh's cricket when scoring 30 runs would give you a long time in the national team. But that's not the case today. I have to play well in order to stay in the team. But I won't say that it will be difficult for me because I am not really thinking about any of that right now. All I am thinking of is just doing my best. I just want to play well. The other things can come later.

TDS: You have an average above 70 in four-day cricket. Do you think you are ready for Tests?

MH: I think whoever plays cricket professionally, will want to play Test cricket. And I am the same. I have enjoyed playing four-day cricket at the domestic level and I have done well. I really want to play Test cricket. But the rest is up to the selectors.

TDS: Who would you say is your biggest inspiration?

MH: I have dedicated my entire cricketing life to my father. He is no more. It is for him that I want to do well. I want to dedicate my ODI series debut to him as well.