'Have to bowl well to win my place back'

Rubel Hossain turned in a relatively creditable performance during Bangladesh's tour of New Zealand earlier this year, bowling with fire in the second Test and taking the most wickets during the three T20Is, but he found himself out of the Test squad for the recently concluded one-off Test in India.

However, he has been using his time away from the national side wisely, turning out for South Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), the premier four-day league in Bangladesh.

“I am not thinking about it [not being in the national team] as it is completely up to the selectors,” said the fast bowler during South Zone's practice session in Mirpur yesterday. “I am playing BCL now and my aim is to bowl well here and take wickets. The selectors are going to the matches; they will see how everyone is faring. It is completely up to them. Of course, if I do get a chance I will try to take full advantage of it.

“Of course it feels bad. I have been in the national team for quite some time; I wasn't there for some time in between. It is very painful to see the national team's matches sitting on the outside. I have to bowl well again and make my place in the national team,” said a determined Rubel.

And he has been doing that. The right-arm quick picked up a five-for in the second-round match against East Zone which South Zone won. A draw in the next game against the underperforming Central Zone, however, left South Zone in third place in the four-team table with a tough task coming up tomorrow -- taking on league leaders North Zone in the fourth-round match.

“The opposition [North Zone] are in number one spot; they are of course a good team,” Rubel said. “Now there are three to four national players in our team. We will of course play to win the next match. This match is very important for us. We have to win and we have to play good cricket. If each of us can play according to our reputations then we can hope for a good result.

“All in all, our performance has been good. But if the national players could have played their best cricket then it could have been better. Even then, I think it is alright. Our batting has to improve a little bit more. Our bowling line-up is very good.”