'I am not finished yet'

32-year-old pacer Mohammad Sharif has expressed his wish to return to the national side after taking a hattrick against Mahmudullah Riyad-led Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in the Dhaka Premier League yesterday.

Sharif, who is playing for the newly-promoted Gazi Group Cricketers, last played international cricket in July 2007, when Bangladesh toured Sri Lanka. Following the match yesterday, he criticised the selection culture in Bangladesh and indicated that players above 30 in the domestic circuit do not get as much attention from the selectors as the younger players, no matter how they perform.

“Actually the culture of our country is that when someone becomes 30, he is called old. In other countries people say that at 30 players become experienced. I am not finished yet. I feel that I have a lot more to give to the game and I wish to play for the national team and stay fit for as long as I can,” Sharif told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium after the match was interrupted and eventually shifted to the reserve day due to incessant rainfall.

The umpires decided to stop the match after 16.1 overs were bowled in the afternoon. Before that, Sheikh Jamal were restricted to 168 for nine in 38 overs. The first innings was curtailed as well due to the sudden burst of rainfall in the morning.

While the rains painted a rather gloomy picture for most of yesterday in Mirpur, Sharif's hattrick brightened the atmosphere. He came on in the 34th over and removed Mahmudullah Riyad with a slower delivery which the batsman, who seemed to be in search for quick runs after the number of overs were reduced, mistimed to deep mid-wicket in the third ball.

Sharif managed to conjure some swing and got Zabid Hossain bowled in the next delivery and then trapped Nazmus Sadat in front in the fifth ball of the over.  The last ball also produced a run-out as Sheikh Jamal slumped from 129 for three to 149 for 6. He came back in the 38th over to remove Shafiul Islam with a fuller delivery and finished with figures of four for 34 in eight overs.

According to Sharif, this was his second hattrick in the Dhaka Premier League. He claims to have taken his first in the 2005-06 season.

“Two years ago I was the third highest wicket-taker in the national league and I also scored runs. After that I was told that I would tour with the A team but later I wasn't selected. When I asked if it was because I am over-age, they said no. There was some other reason which they did not want to disclose,” he said.

“I want this culture [of considering players old after the age of 30] to stop in Bangladesh. If Misbah [Ul Haq] can play till 40, Bangladeshis can also do the same provided they are fit. Ashish Nehra has also come back for India and there are so many other examples,” he added.

Gazi Group Cricketers were given a target of 196 in 38 overs as per the Duckworth-Lewis method. They were poised at 83 for three at the end of the day yesterday with Anamul Haque and Alok Kapali at the crease.