Bangladesh's uncapped middle-order batsman Shahadat Hossain promised to improve his skill set gently to prolong his career in the national fold.

The 21-year-old right-handed batsman, who managed his maiden call-up in the 15-member Bangladesh squad ahead of the approaching one-off Test series against the touring Afghanistan starting on June 14, also expressed his desire to boost his mental strength in the upcoming days.

Earlier of him, numerous campaigners as well secured a spot in the national team; however, they wholly failed to capitalise on it on the back of their inconsistency.  

‘I would be trying to upgrade my skill-set and also try to be strong mentally; that is what my task is for now. The more I improve, it will make my game easier,’ said Shahadat on Monday in Mirpur.  

Shahadat, who is a proud member of the Bangladesh side that won the Under-19 World Cup in 2020, after which he sparkled in domestic competitions, recently made two half-centuries in as many unofficial Tests against West Indies A.

He also had a brilliant outing on the domestic circuit, scoring 1,265 runs from 20 first-class games, bagging two hundreds and 10 fifties.

Therefore, the call-up was something like a dream coming true to him that made him utterly ecstatic.  

‘Of course it [the call-up to the national team] would make you feel happy, as everyone dreams to feature for the national team. Same about me as well.’

Although Shahadat earned a spot in the national set-up,  his journey up to the senior level wasn’t a bed of roses but rather was full of struggle.

The lad from the Chattanooga division had lost his father at an early age. Afterwards, he grew up under the shadow of his elder brother, who guided him out and out to achieve success.

Apart from him, someone named Sudipto also extended his hands, providing the cricket kits to fulfill his dreams.

‘I was a kid when my father passed away. I couldn’t understand the affair. Afterwards, my elder brother stepped up to help me when I was growing up.’

I had a Sudipto Bhai, he helped me vastly with cricket equipment along with other essentials. In fact, that assisted me to go forward.’     

The young campaigner further affirmed that he doesn't have a separate preparation for red-ball cricket, instead always prefers to play according to a match situation.

'I always try to play according to the situation.'