Roqibul is a confused Kid- Siddons
Mar 11 2010 - 16:28:07
Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons believes Roqibul Hasan is "a confused kid" whose shock retirement on the eve of the first Test against England was a "rash, emotional decision".
Roqibul stunned everyone on Thursday by informing team manager Shafiul Haque of his intention to quit all forms of the game at the age of just 22. The batsman had just been selected to play against England having scored an unbeaten hundred and a fifty against the tourists for Bangladesh A.
"He's obviously an upset kid at the moment, and probably a bit confused," said Siddons. "He's decided to call it quits for the moment and hopefully in the near future he has a change of heart and everyone accepts him back, which is what I hope happens."
He added: "I don't know who he was trying to hurt, or what point he was trying to prove, but I hope the BCB welcome him back because he's a kid who's a bit confused.
"He may need some counselling from people around him. He's made a rash, emotional decision and I think a really bad one for himself and his family.
"Hopefully he'll work on that and think about that because he's a strong-willed kid, very internal, and hopefully the people in power will want him back."
Siddons believes the reason for Roqibul's actions can be traced to a frustration at being dropped from the one-day squad and left out of the Tigers' provisional 30-man squad for the World Twenty20.
The Australian coach does not enjoy a vote on the selection panel and suggested he sympathised with the player's position.
"He didn't like being dropped in the way he was dropped, then missing out on the 30 for the T20 squad, which was probably bad selection," Siddons said.
"He thought he'd proved his point that he was good enough to be in that 30, which I think he is, and then he walked away. Selectors are chosen to pick a team and if Roqibul has got a grief, it must be with the selectors because they are the ones who left him out, but maybe there's a bit more to it."