‘Trolling on social media affected my image’

After going from being rated as one of the brightest prospects in the country to impressing upon starting his international career at a very early age, Nasir Hossain was tipped by some as the future captain of the Tigers. However, he lost his way and has been outside the national set-up for quite some time now. The 31-year-old showed glimpses of his abilities in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League, where he is captaining Dhaka Dominators, and spoke to The Daily Star's Mazhar Uddin about his game before sharing some of his ambitions during an exclusive interview. The excerpts are below:

The Daily Star (DS): You have been in fine touch in the BPL so far both with both bat and ball.

Nasir Hossain (NH): It feels good because I always believe the first few games are very important. But it's important to continue this form.

DS: Did you work on your batting before the start of the tournament?

NH: Not really as we were playing four-day matches even four days before the tournament. So it was quite difficult to adjust to the white-ball format. It took some time. But I worked in the nets.

DS: Your team is struggling despite you leading from the front. Is that frustrating at times?

NH: When the team does well, it makes the job easier. But I think our top-order hasn't been able to perform. In T20 cricket, you need to play as a team instead of depending on individual heroics. DS: Soumya Sarkar is yet to make an impact with the bat so far in the BPL. What's your take on him?

NH: We definitely have faith in him. He is going through a tough time but I think he is working hard and is talking with the coaches about his game. We are confident. The type of player he is, he will definitely come back well.

DS: Do you want to return to the national team again?

NH: I dream of returning to national team but at the moment there is no alternative to performing. To be honest, I don't want to think that way at the moment. I want to enjoy my game wherever I get the opportunity.

DS: Do you think T20 cricket is the ideal format for you to stage a comeback to the national team?

NH: I enjoy one-day cricket, but it's not like you have to hit every ball in T20. As a batter, the position I normally bat in requires one or two boundaries in between those singles and doubles. Then you see your strike rate go to 120-130. Being a middle-order batter, I can't afford to concede dot balls. The situation demands quick runs. I try to play according to the situation.

DS: Do you ever feel regret about falling off track despite having all that potential?

NH: What I realised is that everyone will be with you during the good times, but when things aren't going your way, no one will be with you. When I was in the national team, I performed well but I feel I should have worked harder. I took things very easy. But the fact is that international cricket is not that easy, which I now realise.

DS: You were embroiled in all sorts of controversies. Do you think that took your focus away from cricket?

NH: If you think overall, I did perform in all the domestic competitions. But I got trolled on social media, which affected my image which is the reason I went off track.

DS: Is Nasir a changed person now?

NH: I haven't changed. I am still the same as I was before. I got married, I have family and I stay busy with them.