Bangladeshi all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin Opts for a two-month break from all forms of cricket
Bangladeshi bowling all-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin has reached out to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to grant him a short-term break from all forms of cricket for two months.
According to the latest reports provided by Cricbuzz, the 27-year-old cricketer has cited his struggles with depression. Consequently, he had to take this decision after missing out on the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024.
Also, he wasn’t able to play for his team Montreal Tigers in the continuing Global T20 League (GLT20) 2024 due to visa complications which left the selection committee in dilemma.
Recently, the BCB officially announced the Bangladesh A team squad for the upcoming matches against Pakistan Shaheens. It includes a four-day game in the red ball format followed by three white-ball contests in the 50-over format.
Earlier, Saifuddin was selected for the 2nd four-day match as well as for the three 50-overs match against Pakistan. However, the matches were rescheduled due to the ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh.
BCB Official Latest Interview with Cricbuzz: Reveals Why Mohammad Saifuddin Opted for a Two-Months Break
In a recent interview with Cricbuzz, a BCB official stated that Mohammad Saifuddin was disappointed for not being selected for two major tournaments. Furthermore, the official stated that the all-rounder hoped that the BCB would understand his feelings in a friendly way:
“Yeah! I remember it was on July 30th that after the Team A announcement, he emailed me expressing his mental stress over missing the Global T20 and T20 World Cup. He requested a break for two months from all formats of cricket and insisted that I could positively view his letter. I responded as “noted” and said we need to discuss this topic further when he comes back to Dhaka so that I can figure out what he’s been facing”, the official said.
BCB Medical Committee Official Clarifies About Saifuddin’s Injury
Furthermore, the BCB’s medical committee’s official confirmed that the right-arm seamer injured his chest muscle ahead of the Global T20 tournament, which was the main reason for his non-participation:
“Yeah! He (Saifuddin) faced a rib injury and reported to the BCB one day before his scheduled departure on July 24. After screening him, the medical staff concluded that it was too risky for him to travel for 20 to 22 hours with continuous pain. Despite undergoing treatment in the initial stages, Saifuddin’s condition still deteriorated. This prompted the decision to exclude him from the Global T20 tournament”, the health official added.
BCB Selectors Disappointed with Mohammad Saifuddin
Earlier, Saifuddin failed to attend several training sessions for Bangladesh Tigers in Sylhet and Chattogram in the previous month, which resulted in the selectors becoming furious upon his withdrawal. Due to his lack of physical fitness and mental health challenges, he had to opt for a two-month break. This caused inconveniences in the Bangladesh A team’s preparation for the forthcoming Pakistan tour.
Earlier, Saifuddin took a long break from international cricket for one and a half years due to an injury. He made a comeback starting with the 5-match T20I home series against Zimbabwe in May before the commencement of the T20 World Cup this year. Although he grabbed 8 wickets in 4 matches, he was sidelined for the T20 World Cup 2024 squad.
Rather, the selectors decided to choose another pacer named Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who took 11 wickets in 7 matches at an average of 13.54. Also, he achieved his career-best bowling figures of 4-7 against Nepal in the group stages of the tournament. As a consequence, he proved that the selectors made the right decision in selecting him in place of Saifuddin.
Pakistan Shaheens vs Bangladesh A 2024 Fixtures
The four-day contests will commence on August 13 and conclude on August 23, whereas the 3-match one-day games will take place between August 26 and August 30 as mentioned below:
- 1st Four-Day Match: August 13th–16th 2024 (Tuesday to Friday)
- 2nd Four-Day Match: August 20th–23rd 2024 (Tuesday to Friday)
- 1st 50-Overs Match: August 26th 2024 (Monday)
- 2nd 50-Overs Match: August 28th 2024 (Wednesday)
- 3rd 50-Overs Match: August 30th 2024 (Friday)
↻ India & Bangladesh To Host Men’s Asia Cup 2025 & 2027
Conclusion:
Despite the BCB agreeing to Saifuddin’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) until August 8 to participate in the GLT20 2024, the persisting political crisis in Bangladesh forced him to miss the tournament since he failed to obtain his visa on time. Moreover, the official said that Saifuddin requested an extension of NOC until August 12 since the Bangladesh A team was supposed to travel to Pakistan on August 11.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh national cricket team is getting ready to travel to Pakistan on August 17 for the 2-match Test series. This red ball tour is a part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25, which will be held in Rawalpindi (August 21–25) and Karachi (August 30–September 3).
Mohammad Saifuddin’s decision seems like a huge setback to Bangladesh since he was supposed to participate in the 2nd four-day match and the 50-over series against Pakistan A, ahead of the 2-match test series against Pakistan. It becomes clear that the Bangladeshi all-rounder won’t be able to secure his spot for the upcoming 2-match Test series against India starting on September 19.
As Saifuddin’s psychological health and future in cricket remain uncertain, it remains to be observed how situations become favorable for him.
