Mahedi Hasan, an off-spinner and all-rounder, has been putting his abilities to bowl with the new ball as well as the old ball to good use in recent competitions, and as a result, he has been selected to play for Bangladesh in the World Cup.
The 28-year-old Mahedi demonstrated his value in two matches he did get to play in the Asia Cup and then further established his claim with successful efforts in the following New Zealand ODIs at home. Prior to the Asia Cup in August, Mahedi was not even in contention for a spot in the final 15-member squad. However, he showed his worth in both of the matches he played in the Asia Cup.
On Friday, Mahedi played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s victory over Sri Lanka in their first World Cup warm-up match in Guwahati. His three wickets for 36 runs not only turned the tide in favour of the Tigers after the Lankans got off to a blistering start, but he also managed to upset their entire batting effort by contributing to the Tigers’ ability to restrict Sri Lanka to 263 runs on a good surface. This allowed the Tigers to win the match.
The off-spinner maintained tight lines, changed up his speed, and demonstrated his cleverness via remarkable variations; these are all characteristics for which he is recognised.
According to his instructor Mohammad Salahuddin, Mahedi, who has a career economy of 4.48 in one-day internationals, has worked on his variations and improved his ability to bowl in the middle overs, both of which will aid Bangladesh in the major event.
“I believe that he has made a significant amount of progress in his bowling based on what I’ve seen in the most recent few matches. In the beginning of his career, the only time he bowled successfully was with a brand new ball. However, as the ball became older, he had a tendency to struggle more and more. However, now. I believe he has a few different bowling variations and is also aware of how to bowl throughout the middle overs. Yesterday, Salahuddin gave an interview to The Daily Star in which he said, “I believe that this is his advantage, and the best thing I noticed about him is that he is able to get some purchase even on flat tracks.”
Both Mahedi and Mehedi Hasan Miraz are right-handed off-spinner specialists for the Tigers team. Mahedi is the Tigers’ other right-handed off-spinner specialist. They are both of the same breed, yet each has distinct advantages and disadvantages. Taking all of this into consideration, Salahuddin is of the opinion that both of the players may provide a great deal of diversity for the captain.
“As spinners become older, as a consequence of playing more, they get more mature and are able to figure out what to do. “I think he and Miraz are two different bowlers, and both can offer a lot of variety in the playing eleven considering the strength and weakness of the opponent,” he said. “When he (Mahedi) faces top batters, he will be able to improve,” he added.
It is only logical to anticipate that Bangladesh’s overhauled pace unit will play a significant part in the Tigers’ success in India given that it has previously shown significant potential and brought about positive outcomes for the team. However, taking into account the circumstances that would be present on the subcontinent, Salahuddin has encouraged the spinners to do their share.
“The biggest strength of our bowlers is that they bowl at the stumps regardless of the variations, but it won’t be wise to judge them based only on their home performances,” Salahuddin said. “They bowl at the stumps regardless of the conditions.”
In addition to his skills as a bowler, Mahedi’s batting also has the potential to benefit the Tigers. The right-handed batter has a solid domestic record to back up his reputation as a solid hitter, which is supported by the fact that he bats from the right side.