Former skipper Sakib al Hasan relished his time with the English county side Worcestershire as he returned to home on Sunday and spent few hours at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium with his practising team-mates.
‘I am happy but not satisfied as it could have been much better,’ Sakib told reporters later.
The mercurial all-rounder, who reached home at dead of night, arrived at the stadium at about 12:00pm and was immediately introduced to the two new assistant coaches, Julien Fountain and Ian Pont.
He, however, did not attend the practice and was allowed to leave for his hometown Magura to meet his parents. The team management said Sakib will join practice on September 26, three days before the arrival of New Zealand for a five-match ODI series in October
‘Everyday I am developing with experience but to say specifically about my experience in England is difficult, but as I have played a lot of matches in different weather conditions, so it must have improved my adaptability skills,’ Sakib said.
Sakib said his brief county stint, in which he made 358 runs in 15 innings and claimed 35 wickets, has changed the attitude of English cricket administrators about Bangladeshi cricketers.
Asked if he has any idea about any particular interest of any county side in any of his team-mates, Sakib said he has no clear information, although it seemed to him there are quite a few players who might join him in the near future.
‘It’s difficult for me to say anything about it but what I have learnt by staying over there is that they have changed their views on our cricketers. Certainly one player [Tamim Iqbal] has got all the possibility to play there but I think more Bangladeshi players will be seen in the county circuit in future,’ Sakib said.
He, however, refused to pledge himself to Worcestershire for the next season.
‘I might stay back at Worcestershire or might change the team as negotiations are ongoing and when the deal is done it will be disclosed. They were happy about my performance, when we learnt that we have been promoted to Division One they appreciated my effort,’ Sakib said.
Sakib, currently one of the leading all-rounders in world cricket, bemoaned not to score a century in the eight first-class matches that he played since joining the side in mid-July.
‘The only thing that I missed in county cricket is a century, maybe next time, otherwise I had more or less everything,’ said Sakib, adding that the match against Surrey gave him the best satisfaction.
‘The match against Middlesex was a special one for me where I had taken seven wickets because it was played on Eid day and at Lord’s, apart from the game against Surrey in which I had taken six wickets,’ he said.
