'DPL helps players handle pressure'

Mosaddek Hossain was beaten by a beauty when he faced the first delivery in a Test match from pacer Suranga Lakmal. The young right-hander also faced similar discomfort through the remaining five deliveries of that over. However, he regained his confidence in the very second over, when ace left-arm spinner Rangana Herath came to bowl on the other end at the P Sara Oval, by opening the bat face slightly to find the gap between cover and point. A total of 75-runs was the final contribution from his bat that helped his side manage a valuable first innings lead and ultimately win the historic 100th Test in Sri Lanka.

It is not as if Mosaddek's arrival in the international cricket scene since early last year has made a huge splash among the world's cricket fraternity but rather his assured batting approach and temperament has hogged the spotlight within a very short period of time.

This comes as no surprise for those who followed him in the domestic circuit though, especially after the way he showed his maturity and handled the Sri Lankan spin attack during the second Test.

 “The excitement surrounding Dhaka Premier Cricket League might not remain like what it had been a few years back but still you always feel the pressure when you play the Dhaka League. If our first-class cricket is a platform for the players to make big-scoring a habit then Dhaka League is a platform from where you can learn how you need to handle the pressure. And Saikat (Mosaddek) has valuable domestic experiences under his belt,” was the explanation from selector Habibul Bashar.

Therefore, when this season's league rolls out onto the field from tomorrow, its importance will be immense for cricketers regardless of whether or not it has lost its appeal to the country's cricket fans.

This is since it is a competition from where a player can perform and receive the highest accolade from senior teammates, the way Mosaddek had from Tamim Iqbal last season. Mosaddek barely did anything wrong during the last season, prompting Tamim to say: “He has a brain of a 45-year-old. He is a mature boy. If he keeps playing the way he is, it won't be long before he enters the national team.”

“Domestic cricket is a platform for me where I can take preparation and learn many things. So far I learnt many things from this competition which is helping me in international cricket. I am looking forward to flourishing in international cricket at the highest level and I believe domestic cricket is an area where I can shine to fulfill my dream,” said Mosaddek yesterday.

“It's not so easy to perform well in the Dhaka League because you have to take pressure. The clubs are paying you and you have to pay them back. I always try to learn something about how I can handle the pressure and I have my own way,” he continued.

Mosaddek also believes that in modern day cricket, one must learn the craft of shifting gears from one format to the other. “You have to take quick decisions in T20 cricket while you have got some time to settle down in the middle in the one-day game and Test cricket is all about patience and as a player I always think how I can change my gear.”

“Mental toughness is very important to survive and I am well aware with the fact that a player cannot always enjoy the best time in his career,” he added.

In the end, he considered luck as a factor as well but luck will only favour those who capitalise on opportunities whether it is in the domestic circuit or the international level.