Saifuddin makes hay on return
The Fortune Barishal vs Rangpur Riders game had everything to pull in the crowd on Wednesday in what was a virtual semi-final of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). What broke the camel's back for Rangpur batting was not only the frequent changes to batting lineup but also how Mohammad Saifuddin picked up crucial wickets at the innings' start.
Saifuddin, having returned to action late this BPL after recovering from injury, has even tried a slightly slingy action too, albeit only occasionally this BPL. Usually when on form, his smooth action produces a zip on the deliveries. He also gets swing with the new ball and has the yorkers for the death overs. But injury had been an issue, which is why the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was not giving him No Objection Certificate (NOC) at the tournament's earlier stages.
His injury has become an old but recurring problem. Saifuddin was sent to Qatar recently to complete a four-week special rehab with his back being the major issue.
"It felt good," Saifuddin had said during a recent press conference on his return with the ball. "It didn't feel very difficult since the game is in Mirpur and it's BPL; so it's a domestic match. There are known faces surrounding me and I know what to do. That's why it didn't feel like pressure but coming to the field after a long time was something I felt happy about," he had added.
The last competitive game he had played before finally getting on the field midway of BPL was in March last year in Dhaka Premier League.
Regarding his new action, Saifuddin gave the impression that he takes everything in his stride. "That's what I did for the new action. You have to try new things in a pressure situation. You have to have guts and then you can master it quickly," he had said.
Saifuddin has often been in the limelight for the wrong causes. His injury has been debated, especially for having missed many crucial national team tours. Yet, he looks to have built himself stronger before coming to this BPL.
An outswinging delivery to Mahedi Hasan, pitched at a good length and accounted for the makeshift opener before he struck the hammer blow by picking up the biggest wicket of Rangpur -- that of Shakib Al Hasan as the left-hander charged at an outswinger and only managed a nick through to the wicket-keeper.
His first two overs had produced just six runs and two wickets and while he gave away 21 runs at the death overs, given the rapid stroke-play by Rangpur's Shamim Hossain, who scored an unbeaten 24-ball 59, Saifuddin can count himself to have done well with his effort as Rangpur managed 149 for seven, recovering from seven down for 77 at one stage.
Saifuddin has also turned up with the bat considerably well even as batting was not the issue during his injury. The six-ball 23 against Durdanto Dhaka is the kind of impact that his side needed and Saifuddin has delivered so far.