Conjecture has enough legs for a belief to travel a long-winded trail in Bangladesh cricket. It can lift an element within the circle to its highest peak and equally, it can dump him to the point where it remains an afterthought, reduced to a footnote.
A player is often the centre of all the attention and when it comes to making a call on his future, the argument is at its loudest.
In the course of the next one month, Nasir Hossain and Shuvogata Hom Chowdhury should be prepared for two different battles in Zimbabwe. The former has to live up to his billing as an exciting talent but the latter should have his shields up for an avalanche of questions and innuendoes related to his selection.
One would quickly realise that both battles have had precedent but while one is easily traceable, the other is more complicated and is hardly talked about from a player’s point of view.
Nasir, the all-rounder who has already made it big in domestic club cricket, can boldly say, “Pressure? There isn’t any pressure on me.” He’s only been picked in the Tigers squad for a series where whatever he does on the field will be a bonus for those who chose him.
Shuvogata was in Nasir’s place just the other day when he was picked for the series against Australia. A fresh face was treated like a fresh face and nothing more.
This time however, he doesn’t have that luxury.
After it was reported that his name was allegedly pushed to the national selectors in place of a more experienced player, Shuvogata finds himself in the middle of a storm. Denial from both parties holds little in this perspective; nobody’s word is taken at face value and only new angles are tossed into the ring.
As of now, he replies to the burning question with a slight pause. Then, “I think the management can tell you who I replaced” is the reply.
The speculation could chew and spit him out like any one-tour wonder, but if he manages to dig deep into his resolve, he could come out as a better player and though the tag won’t go away (it never does in Bangladesh cricket), he can live with it.
A little background on the right-handed batsman would reveal a universal theme with most cricketers in the country: a quiet man who has worked out of a small town, playing different leagues across the country. The likes of Shuvogata sometimes move from one town to the next at night so that they can save up on accommodation.
When he played in Dhaka, his life depended on performance. Unusually for a player of this day and age, Shuvogata has been a one-club man. Cricket Coaching School (CCS) has been his sole address in Dhaka since 2005. It shows loyalty from the 25-year-old, though he terms it as security. “At least I have a club,” he said with a broad smile.
It is a remarkable enough statement from a player who has made it to the national team but not surprising given the hazards of choosing this profession in this country.
Akram Khan, the chief selector who has vehemently denied of any pressure put on him about Shuvogata, said that the batsman will get his shot during the one-day series.
“He was in the squad against Australia but didn’t get a game, but he will play this time. I said at the beginning that we’ll give everyone a fair chance,” Akram said yesterday.
If Shuvogata joins the scrapheap, he would definitely be cited as a shining example of what is wrong with the Bangladesh Cricket Board. He will forever be the scapegoat for Akram’s first selection but if he does the job, well, the tag will remain but it won’t be as hurtful.
–With The Daily Star input
