The Daily Star (DS): How happy are you and your family to be on the mend after the scam?
Towhid Hridoy (TH): Every player, those who make it big, have some difficulties in life. It happens to everyone and what happened to me has had a positive impact. If I hadn’t faced that, I wouldn’t know what it means to face difficult situations and the struggle that people face.
Maybe God wanted to test me. I lost my interest in cricket after being cheated at Banasree. All parents want their children to be happy. Words cannot describe what my mother did for me. I’m very lucky because having parental support is the greatest thing you can have in this world. My mother doesn’t even understand the game, but she never discouraged me.
DS: How did you convince your family after you started cricket?
TH:Everyone in my family is well educated and everyone wanted me to focus on my studies and my father did not support me at cricket. Later, my father saw that we weren’t speaking and began to support.
Of course I had a three year break from studying because of cricket. Couldn’t take the SSC exam in U19 days as I was in New Zealand. I missed JSC once for U-17 and there was a gap in communication with my dad. I felt pretty bad at the time because my father didn’t talk to me. But when I was fine, those things were over. I’m glad I had her trust.
DS: You were able to get the pledged land back?
When I was in the U-19, I solved this problem. In the back of my mind I always thought that a lot would depend on me. The damage I did to myself served as a trigger to regain what we had lost.
DS: What did Mushfiqur Rahim say when he came batting with you in the Ireland match yesterday?
TH: When I went batting with Mushfiqur bhai, he said: “You and I are both from Bogura. Bogura’s two will play to the end.”
DS: Mushfiqur was seen shaking your hand after the end of his innings and saying something to you?
TH: After he got out he said I had to finish the game and he needed me to score a lot of goals.
DS: Did you use his bat?
TH: He [Mushfiqur] always gives me clubs and I score a lot of runs with them. I got some today too.
DS: Mahmudullah Riyad was ‘rested’ so how much pressure is there for the players who are coming?
He is a legend and there is no substitute for him in Bangladesh cricket. Of course he will do well when he comes back.
DS: Do you think the younger generation has what it takes to take the team to a new level?
TH: I think this is a good site. Bangladesh team is always good although performance and result can vary.
DS: Do you think Bangladeshi players need more time to settle in?
TH: Actually there are a few things and I see your point. I hope that the future batch and ours will overcome these things.
DS: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza said you need more time to get into the national team. What are you feeling?
TH: I feel like what he said was for my own good. He told me in the dressing room that players appear here and there and come to the national team but get dropped after a few poor performances. So he told me he didn’t want to see that and wished Bangladesh Cricket would give me the opportunity and time. The seniors always want me to be good, and they want me and others to be good for the country.
DS: Your dexterity came from aggressive mentality or technical changes?
TH: When I played at the U-19 World Cup in 2018 I was good at scoring, but that pattern changed in the middle. My thought process changed and I played in a different pattern. It happened in this BPL 2022 and I kept thinking why I don’t play like I used to. I tried to do little things and leaned on doing them and practiced that way to find my old self.
