'He has the brain of a 45-yr-old'

622 runs and 15 wickets in 16 games, a stunning batting average of 77.75 that tops the list and a series of match-winning performances, 20-year-old Mosaddek Hossain barely did anything wrong in the Dhaka Premier League.

Yet it will not be incorrect to say that the response he received for this breathtaking effort was subdued. And the reason behind that was the team that he played in.

Abahani was the centre of discussion for most parts of the league, and it was not just because of their star-studded squad or their record wins in the Dhaka Premier League.

Right from the start of the league there were allegations made by club officials that the umpires were biased against Abahani's opponents. Certain other moves by the organisers, such as the decision to not play the postponed game between Prime Doleshwar and Abahani on the reserve day, only added fuel to the fire.

These and several other issues, which were picked up by the media, in a way tainted the brilliant performances that Abahani's players put in.

That was an aspect that disappointed Abahani skipper Tamim Iqbal.

“It's common to be in the eye of the media and to be criticised, but I thought it was a bit too much at one point because there were some players in my team who didn't get the credit they deserve.

“Mosaddek Hossain had a fantastic tournament. He has a brain of a 45-year-old. He won matches for us both with the ball and the bat. There may be discussions on controversies, but that does not mean that a player's performance will be overshadowed,” said Tamim.

“He is a mature boy. If he keeps playing the way he is, it won't be long before he enters the national team,” he added.

On another note, Tamim also said that he accepted the BCB's punishment with regards to the match between Abahani and Prime Doleshwar. Tamim had reacted angrily to a decision that the umpires had made after which the umpires decided not to continue the game that day.

“I accept this punishment because I was at fault. I should learn from this because there are boys who follow me and love my game, so I should try to be a better human being first,” he said. Aside from Tamim, even Prime Doleshwar's Nasir Hossain was fined Tk 20,000 for breach of the disciplinary code in that game.

Tamim, who hit a brilliant 142 yesterday, said that he was happy to have played such a knock in such an important game.

“I think I could have scored 200 if I stayed on till the 50th over, but I got out in the 43rd. I was just trying to get as many runs as possible,” said Tamim.