Bangladesh ‘A’ captain Nurul Hasan stated on Tuesday that their objective in the upcoming Top End T20 Series in Australia is to win the trophy, as the representative team from Bangladesh will be participating in the tournament for the second time.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has announced a strong team for the tournament, featuring players such as Hasan Mahmud and Mohammad Naim, with 64-times-capped Nurul Hasan as the captain.
The regional T20 tournament organised by the Northern Territory Cricket will have four international teams—Bangladesh ‘A’, Pakistan Shaheens, Nepal ‘A’, and Chicago Kingsmen—along with some Big Bash League teams.
‘Of course, we’re going to a good tournament. From what I’ve studied, there are some strong teams this year. It’s a big opportunity for us. Naturally, we’ll aim to play in the final,’ Nurul told reporters prior to the team’s departure at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
In the previous edition, Bangladesh HP played in the final but eventually lost to the Adelaide Strikers. But this time Nurul wants his team to go all the way.
‘This whole ‘learning process’ idea—I don’t really buy into that much. Because we’re always learning anyway. Learning is part of life. But since we’re going to play in a tournament, our target should be to reach the final. That’s the goal for every player and coach in the team—to win the trophy,’ said Nurul.
The tournament, where Bangladesh ‘A’ will begin their campaign with the match against Pakistan Shaheens on August 14, might be an ideal platform for Nurul to push for his national team selection.
But the wicketkeeper-batter is only focusing on his immediate job.
He said, ‘Every series is important for me; every match is important, whether it’s a practice match or a domestic game.’
‘Honestly, I don’t think that far ahead. Since I’m going to play a T20 tournament in Australia, all my focus is on that right now. Like I said, my job is to perform on the field. I always try to give my hundred per cent—sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The rest is up to them [the selectors]. My focus is fully on this tournament,’ he added.
The Bangladesh national team is currently going through a rebuilding process in T20s and is in search of finding a core squad ahead of tournaments like the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
Nurul, who possesses almost similar skillsets to the likes of captain Liton Das and Jaker Ali, has not featured in the national team in the format since 2022. He, however, doesn’t want to see anyone as his competitor.
‘I feel the one who performs well, the one who deserves it, will go with the team. My competition is with myself. I always try to improve from my own position,’ he said.
‘What’s most important to me is that wherever I play, I try to do well and figure out how I can improve from my own position. Playing for the Bangladesh national team is a matter of pride. I’ve dreamt of this since I was a child, and I still dream of it. If I get the opportunity, I’ll try to give my best.’
Nurul led the Rangpur Riders in the recently concluded Global Super League in Guyana, where they finished runners-up.
