Lack of sportsmanship

Notable omissions from the team include previous captain Khaled Mahmud who showed quite a lacklustre performance during the recent past.

But keeping aside other topics, one particular issue could be discussed -- the sudden and hectic decision of the retirement of Khald Mahmud from international cricketing arena which he announced within an hour of the naming of the new eleven.

As per press reports, Khaled Mahmud mentioned about the reason of his retirement as some kind of psychological incompatibility in playing the game.

No doubt, Khaled had been a regular and dependable player, and later captain of the Bangladesh side but, as it would go with each and every cricketer at some point of his career, he had to be left out from the team, not to speak of captaincy only due to lack of physical and sometimes mental fitness. But that certainly did not mean that Khaled had to quit cricket completely and lead a life of celibacy away from the game. This has happened, as it seemed, only due to an outburst of the cricketer's true personality, one that lacked any sense or degree of true sportsmanship.

This kind of attitude in one's character seems to be quite shocking, something which is rare among players of other cricketing nations. We find lots of senior and top cricketers of foreign sides making regular entry and exit from Test and one-day sides at the sole will of the selection committee. But none of the international players who have been left out or have been taken off from captaincy could be found quitting cricket out of anger or frustration.