Nasir Hossain Takes Dig At Lobbying In Bangladesh; Faces Shocking BCL Snub

Nasir Hossain wasn't selected to play BCL 2026 [Source: AFP]

Senior Bangladesh allrounder Nasir Hossain has recently faced a shocking snub from the Bangladesh Cricket League 2026, which is set to begin from February 23. The tournament will feature four teams from four zones of the country, and Hossain’s unexpected omission has raised several eyebrows just weeks after the controversy around the T20 World Cup.

The player expressed his disappointment over the situation and took a silent jibe at lobbying in Bangladesh cricket with his indirect remarks, but refrained from taking names. 

Also Read: Mustafizur Rahman Returns To IPL Teams' Wishlist Despite BCCI Contract Snub

Nasir Hossain questions BCL selections

In a recent interview ahead of the One-Day Cup, organized by BCB, Hossain opened up about having no idea why the Bangladesh national selectors couldn’t find a spot for him in the team. Having last represented Bangladesh back in 2018, the player has a lot of experience in the format, with 222 List A games under his belt.

He has scored 6207 runs at an average of 38.55 and picked 156 wickets, which should ideally get him in the teams.

“I honestly don’t know why my name isn’t there. Maybe my face doesn’t look good anymore, or maybe I didn’t call anyone, that could be the reason too. What else can I say? It’s not in my hands. If it were I could explain. Those who are selected in the squad can answer better,” Hossain said.

“Calling doesn’t necessarily get you selected, but maybe it makes some people happy. I’ve never contacted anyone for selection before. I have no regrets. I’ve never had the habit of flattering anyone. As long as I’ve played, I’ve played like a tiger. I don’t want to play by pleasing anyone, and I never will,” he added.

Furthermore, he also revealed his will to play cricket for another four or five years and speaking about any individual could hurt his career at this point, and he felt naming anyone wouldn’t be wise at this point.

Hossain’s ban and subsequent return to cricket

Back in September 2023, the 34-year-old faced a ban and 6 month suspension for breaching ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code and had to stay away from all competitive cricket for a two-year period.

In 2025, he resumed his career after fulfilling all requirements, including the Anti-Corruption Education sessions as revealed by BCB. Since then, he has played for Rupganj Tigers in the Dhaka Premier League and Dhaka Capitals in the Bangladesh Premier League.

During the recently concluded season of BPL, he played 9 matches and scored 158 runs at a strike rate of 117.91, including an unbeaten 90 and took 5 wickets.

How has Nasir Hossain performed for Bangladesh?

Since making his international debut in 2011, the right-hand batter and off-spinner remained a constant feature in the Bangladesh senior national team. He played 65 ODIs, 31 T20Is and 19 Tests and accumulated 1281, 370 and 1044 runs, respectively, in each format. He scored two international centuries and 6 fifties each in ODIs and Tests as well.

With the ball in hand, he picked 39 wickets across formats and was eventually dropped from the team after January 2018, after a string of low scores, as the team looked to build towards the World Cup in 2019.

Also Read: Afghanistan Shortlist Jonathan Trott's Coaching Replacements With 'Challenging' Twist