Mahedi eyes Test return after NCL century

Bangladesh all-rounder Mahedi Hasan is still dreaming of playing Test cricket as he continues to strengthen his first-class credentials with the bat and ball in domestic cricket.

Mahedi, who has now scored seven centuries and ten 5-wicket hauls, said he would start dreaming of wearing the national Test jersey again if another opportunity came his way.

“Playing Test cricket is certainly a dream. Every international player looks forward to wearing the Test kit,” Mahedi said.

“I have had a few opportunities in the past, but unfortunately, things did not work out for me. I was not fully fit at the time either. However, if that opportunity comes again, InshaAllah, I will start dreaming about it all over again.”

Known primarily for his performances in T20 cricket, Mahedi said he was enjoying the longer format, where batters have more time to build their innings.

“In red-ball cricket, you get more opportunities to bat, which is why I am enjoying batting in this format,” he said.

The all-rounder also believes the introduction of the Kookaburra ball has made batting relatively easier than it was with the Duke ball, which Bangladesh had used over the past four or five years.

“I am also trying to score several centuries in the National Cricket League. Since we are using the Kookaburra ball, conditions tend to favour batters a little more,” he added.