‘Hope to finish with 350 Test wickets’

Despite being in the international scene for nearly seven years, off-spinner Nayeem Hasan hasn't played much for Bangladesh, being considered mostly as a backup option to the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. For the first time in his career, the 25-year-old featured in back-to-back away Tests recently in Sri Lanka, claiming nine wickets in three innings, which included a five-wicket haul. Nayeem recently talked to The Daily Star's Samsul Arefin Khan about the Sri Lanka tour, his preparation and goals. The excerpts are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): In Sri Lanka, you finally got to bowl in an away Test for Bangladesh. In your first innings with the ball, you claimed a fifer, and finished the series with nine wickets. Are you satisfied with your performance in Sri Lanka?

Nayeem Hasan (NH): Alhamdulillah, I'm happy with my performance. If we could have won any matches, I would have felt happier. The most satisfying thing for me is to contribute to a winning cause. But I think I could have done even better.

DS: Did bowling in an away Test for the first time feel any different?

NH: Everyone was saying that it was my first match [abroad]. But I never thought of that because I had toured with the 'A' team, the Under-19 team and the Emerging team before. It's true that it feels different when you play after a long time. Before going to Sri Lanka, I played against New Zealand 'A' team and I think it helped me a lot. I think I had a good preparation for the Sri Lanka series.

DS: How do you prepare yourself when you play matches after a long gap?

NH: I don't have anything else to do other than play. I practice regularly and follow my routine to improve myself. We have regular camps for Bangla Tigers. I always try to be ready and wait for my opportunities. Sometimes, performance is not in your hands. But I need to work hard and keep faith in Allah. Sometimes, even with the best of preparation, you may not get the desired result. But you need to give your 100 percent every time.

DS: In your career so far, you have mostly been seen as a third or fourth spin-bowling option in Tests for Bangladesh. How do you feel about it?

NH: I don't think of myself as the third or fourth option. It's true that sometimes I feel bad when I don't get to play. But for me, the team always comes first. I always think that whenever I get the opportunity to play, I have to fulfil my role and help the team win. If I see myself as the third or fourth spin-bowling option, I won't have the same hunger.

DS: Having played only 14 Tests in seven years, do you consider yourself unlucky?

NH: I don't feel like that. When Harbhajan [Singh] was in the Indian side, Ashwin [Ravichandran] made it into their playing XI. He finished his career with more than 500 [537] Test wickets. When I was with the Bangladesh U-19 side, I got the opportunity to play for the national team. Most of the players get into the national side at the age of 24 or 25. But when I was only 17 and a half years old, I got into the national side. For this, I consider myself lucky. I joined the national side in the middle of the U-19 World Cup. Everyone thinks that I'm unlucky but I want to think positively and consider myself lucky in this aspect. I have learnt a lot of things in these seven years and I hope it will help me in future. Many of my batch mates from U-19 days are getting into the national side now or started getting opportunities one or two years back. So overall, I consider myself lucky.

DS: Do you consider yourself only as a red-ball player or do you want to play white-ball cricket as well?

NH: I'm preparing myself for the white-ball as well. I hope to prove myself when I am given an opportunity. I especially prefer playing one-dayers and Tests. I also play T20s. This year, I couldn't play any matches in the BPL, but I got matches in the previous seasons. I also performed well in the NCL T20 last year, both with the ball and the bat.

DS: You bat reasonably well in domestic matches. Do you think you could have cemented your place in the playing XI if you had concentrated more on your batting?

NH: I have been working on my batting. I also got starts in Sri Lanka but couldn't bat longer in both matches. Hopefully, I will not make the same mistake next time.

DS: Age is in your favour as you are just 25. What's your goal by the end of your career?

NH: I hope to finish my career with 350 Test wickets.

DS: Bangladesh's next Test series is in November against Ireland. What are your plans for the next four months? NH: I have been practising in the Bangla Tigers camp. I'm working on my bowling, batting, and fitness. There are fixtures with the A team. If I get the opportunity, I want to do well in Australia during 'A' team's series. Then the domestic season will start, and I want to perform there as well.