It is never simple to make a change in one’s line of work, but for a former cricket player who has competed at the greatest level possible for their nation, the challenge is likely to be significantly greater.
Mehrab Hossain junior, a former batsman for Bangladesh, was recently sworn in as a member of the Niagara Regional Police in Canada, according to photographs that were recently shared on social media.
At the Niagara Regional headquarters, Chief Bryan MacCulloch of the Niagara Regional Police Department administered the oath of office to him before presenting him with his job badge.
After playing for Bangladesh in seven Tests, 18 ODIs, and two T2OIs, Mehrab had aspirations of becoming a commentator, but in 2018, he made the decision to travel to Canada in order to further his education. At that time, he was still a familiar figure in the many tournaments that were held inside the nation.
“It was a spur of the moment plan. Even then, I didn’t talk about it with very many people. Once I became a father, I had to think about the future of my children, and seeing the struggle of a regular citizen in Bangladesh was concerning for me. I guess now I can share the thought process that went into developing my plan. I knew that I would probably be able to play for another four or five years, and then I might pursue a career as a commentator. I thought that I would be able to do that. “Thanks to Allah and then to cricket, I’ve been blessed with a good life,” Mehrab said in an interview with The Daily Star. “I was lucky and privileged to have a good life.”
After going through some early difficulties, Mehrab was finally able to get his permanent residency in 2021. After that, he was able to work a couple jobs that paid more, but the 36-year-old was not happy with the tasks he was given.
One of his friends eventually advised that he apply for a job advertisement that had been released by the Niagara Regional Police Service, and this turned out to be the beginning of a new chapter in Mehrab’s life.
“One of my friends, Tisham Mohammed, who is a banker here, wanted me to join the police and had sent me the job posting that said Niagara Regional Police Service is hiring. I never thought that link would be the turning point in my career. Soon after, I applied and then got accepted. After a long strenuous five-month hiring process and 20 weeks of intense training, where I had to stay away from family for 13 weeks in a residential camp which felt like I was back in BKSP, I was able to call myself Constable Hossain. After playing for the country, this was probably the most satisfying moment that I felt in terms of my professional career. I received my badge from the Chief of Niagara Regional Police on Sept 7,” he said.
Photo: Collected
Although the former left-handed batter does not get the time to follow Bangladesh cricket anymore but he is still in touch with his former teammates Mahmudullah Riyad, Enamul Haque jr and Nazmul Hossain. They have a WhatsApp group to discuss about cricket. He recently met Shakib Al Hasan who was in Canada to take part in the Global T10 league.
However, when asked whether Bangladesh cricket is heading towards the right direction, Mehrab felt that the lack of communication between the board and the players has often caused issues on and off the field which is something he said needed fixing.
“Well, it is extremely difficult for me to have an opinion when I am so far away from the scene, but based on what I hear and witness on social media and in the news, I was a bit unhappy with all the drama that has been going on surrounding Tamim and Riyad. ” “Well, it is very difficult for me to have an opinion when I am so far away from the situation. In the game of cricket played in Bangladesh, it seems to have been common practise to disrespect veteran players by treating them with contempt rather than the respect they are due. This is something that had place with Mashrafe that we saw. Mushfiqur had to deal with some turmoil as well, and now Tamim and Riyad are going through it as well. No one can dispute that those five or six names, together with the younger players, are a significant reason why Bangladesh is where it is right now as a team, and we should not forget that, as he put it, “none of us can deny that.”
Given that the present Bangladesh cricket team is comprised of players of varying ages and levels of experience, Mehrab believes that the moment has come for Bangladesh to win a big prize in the sport of international cricket.
In terms of his own aspirations, Mehrab, who is intent on reducing crime and assisting the community, is willing to join the Homicide unit, which is a speciality unit in the service, and serve the people of Canada. This is because the Homicide unit is a part of the service. Nevertheless, he did not fail to emphasise the following: “I might be living in Canada, but my culture is in my heart, and I am always a Bengali. I will uphold and represent my country to the highest standard no matter where I am or work.”