England is increasingly becoming the new hub for Bangladeshi cricketers as at least six Bangladeshi players are currently involved in their domestic cricket.
The latest in the list is national team opener and vice-captain Tamim Iqbal, who has been picked up by Nottinghamshire for their ongoing Friends Life Twenty20 tournament.
Tamim will join his skipper Sakib al Hasan, who is starring for Worcestershire for the last two seasons.
Sakib had played a vital role in Worcestershire’s promotion to the first division in his debut season last year and they rewarded him with a new contract with an increased salary, which is nearly double the pay-packet he used to get.
Sakib was hoping that his performance would open a door for the Bangladeshi players in England, though that was not the case.
Tamim Iqbal, now the second Bangladeshi to win a contact from county side, had to wait until Australian David Hussey decided to leave Notts Outlaws to fulfil his international commitment.
The Bangladeshi players, however, are playing in regional competitions of England quite often.
At least four players, who are currently out of the national side but can make a comeback anytime, are involved in such competitions, popularly known as Minor County.
Left-arm spinner Enamul Haque is currently playing for Guisborough CC in North Yorkshire & South Durham Premier League while middle-order batsman Rajin Saleh, who had his finest moment in the career in England, leading the national side in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2005, is representing Darlington CC in the same North Yorkshire & South Durham Premier League.
Discarded middle-order batsman Mehrab Hossain Jr is playing for Blythe CC in the Staffs & Cheshire Div 1 while pace bowler Syed Rasel, who got a perfect condition to use his main weapon – swing bowling – in England, is playing for Halstead Cricket Club in Essex League.
Former captain Faruque Ahmed sees a great benefit in playing in England counting on his experience in a club competition in Surrey in 1997.
‘It’s a huge benefit for players. Every day you will see a new condition and you have to adapt to that. You can’t get this experience anywhere else,’ he said.
Faruque added that Aminul Islam was the first Bangladeshi player to have played in England when he featured in the Yorkshire League for a few years in the mid-1990s.
Aminul was followed by Faruque himself and a few other players including Jahangir Alam, Javed Omar and Mohammad Ashraful.
Faruque, however, was reluctant to compare the experience of Sakib and Tamim with theirs.
‘They have been picked by the county sides, which are top grade. We played only club cricket. You cannot compare both, though any playing experience in England must bring some kind of benefit,’ said Faruque.
-With New Age input
