Interview with Rubel Hossain
'There are many things that would spark controversy if I disclosed them'
After staying away from international cricket for five years, Rubel Hossain has finally announced his retirement. In an interview with Prothom Alo, the pacer spoke about the lingering dissatisfaction throughout his career. Tarek Mahmud took the interview.
You’ve been out of international cricket for the past five years. Suddenly you announced your retirement. All this time, did you think you might return to the national team?
Rubel: Even after being dropped from international cricket, it never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t be able to return to the national team. But at one point I did feel that maybe I wouldn’t get another chance—after all, I’m getting older. For about a year and a half I had been thinking about officially announcing my retirement, but I needed a good environment for that. Given the situation of the cricket board, that kind of environment wasn’t there. Over the past two–three months I felt there was no point in delaying it any longer. Otherwise, I’d end up like many seniors who kept things hanging.
After you announced your retirement on social media, you were given a farewell reception in Mirpur before the second ODI between Bangladesh and New Zealand the day before yesterday. How did it feel?
Rubel: After my retirement announcement, Tamim bhai called me and said, “Rubel, you’ve announced your retirement on Facebook, so we at the cricket board want to honour you properly.” I said that’s great, no problem at all. What the BCB did felt really good…they gave me a beautiful farewell.
You said goodbye from the ground, but perhaps it would have felt better to play one last match before retiring…
Rubel: That’s natural—every cricketer dreams of playing one last match and then saying goodbye. I would have been even happier if that had happened. Still, Alhamdulillah for what I got. The BCB honoured me very nicely, and that made me and my family very happy.
After the ceremony, you went to the pitch with your son and sat beside the wicket. It was evident that you were very emotional…
Rubel: It was actually Tamim bhai who told me, “Go to the wicket once.” I also wanted to, but I didn’t know if I’d be able to during the match. Later I went, touched the wicket, tried to feel it. This Mirpur ground and wicket are truly special to me. My relationship with this ground goes back to my Under-19 days. It’s deeply intertwined with my life. That’s why I showed respect to the wicket, even kissed it. I stayed there for a few seconds with my son.
What are your plans regarding domestic cricket?
Rubel: There are talks about playing in the Premier League. If I get a good offer, I’ll play—but even if I do, it’ll be for one year or at most two. It could even be my last year.
ODI cricket was essentially your main format. Of your 193 international wickets, 129 came in ODIs. You played fewer Tests and T20s. Overall, how satisfied are you with your international career?
Rubel: I think I had good success in ODIs. My Test average is very poor, and I’m not happy about that. But if I had gotten a bit more opportunity in ODIs, maybe I could have played for a few more years. My last match was in 2021, but I believe I could have played until 2023 or even 2024—100 per cent. It wasn’t just at the end; there were times in the middle when I didn’t get to play either. Maybe there were reasons—things that would create controversy if I spoke about them now. Allah gave me a beautiful farewell, honored me well. I don’t want to say anything on these matters.
Often you bowled well in one match but didn’t get a chance in the next due to team combination. How did that feel?
Rubel: ODI is my favorite format. I could have played it for a few more years, but sometimes due to team combination, and at times because of seniors, I didn’t get to play. That hurts a bit. If I had consistent opportunities, my position in the national team could have been stronger.
In Tests, I bowled a lot but didn’t get wickets—and at the end of the day, wickets are what count. I had some very good spells in Tests—for example, in Mirpur I made Kumar Sangakkara struggle with reverse swing. The team management might appreciate that, but ultimately everyone looks at wickets. That’s why my Test average is poor. Also, pitches in Mirpur or Chattogram are usually flat or spin-friendly—there’s little for pacers to do. It wasn’t just me; other pacers faced the same situation. Only Rajib (Shahadat Hossain) bhai seemed to do well from the beginning.
You weren’t injured, you were in form—yet you didn’t get into the playing XI sometimes. What did that feel like?
Rubel: Of course it felt bad, but there was nothing I could do. Maybe that’s just how things work. What can I say now? There are many things that would spark controversy if I spoke about them, and I don’t want that.
Do you ever feel you came into the national team at the wrong time—having to stay in the shadow of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza?
Rubel: The thing is, if you perform, you must be played. Mashrafe bhai was our best bowler at the time, but he didn’t play the 2011 World Cup. I did, and so did Shafiul. Mashrafe bhai’s turning point was the 2015 World Cup. Without that match in Adelaide, he might not have been highlighted as much.
But that Adelaide match was yours—you won it for Bangladesh against England…
Rubel: Yes, but from that point Mashrafe bhai came more into focus as a captain. As a bowler, he was definitely good, and he’s one of Bangladesh’s best captains—that has to be acknowledged. But there’s no end to how good someone can be.
Your bowling and wicket celebrations always had an aggressive style. Was that because you didn’t get regular opportunities, so when you did, you had a stronger urge to prove yourself?
Rubel: I’m the kind of bowler who simply can’t bowl slow, even if I try. For example, if you tell Nahid Rana to bowl at 130 km/h, he won’t be able to. My strength is pace. Maybe my strength can drop, my speed can decrease, but I always bowl fast. As for celebrations—it’s natural. And yes, there was always a bit of determination. A lot has happened in my career.
Can you give a hint about that?
Rubel: Let’s say we’re touring New Zealand. I already knew I wouldn’t play the first two matches. Maybe I’d get a chance in the third. That means I knew beforehand I wouldn’t play! Then when I saw we lost the first two matches, the bowlers performed poorly, and still I didn’t get a chance in the third match—that was very painful. Our Nazmul (Nazmul Hasan) bhai had a similar career—he’d play one or two matches and then be dropped. There’s also an incident from the 2019 World Cup, but I won’t go into detail. I was almost on the verge of returning home. I had a minor injury, but I had recovered and was bowling in practice matches. Still… anyway, perhaps I was seen in a certain way. Every match felt like a challenge for me. I always felt, “I have to do well.” I tried to do exactly what was asked of me. Before me, who wanted to bowl in the slog overs for Bangladesh? No one. It’s very challenging. I don’t have cutters like Mustafiz. I had to extract success from my limited abilities—relying on yorkers, or slower balls, or bouncers.
Your bowling action was quite unusual—somewhat like Lasith Malinga, but not exactly. How important was your action to your bowling?
Rubel: Around 2019 my action changed a bit. Back in 2012 in Chattogram, I tore a shoulder ligament. After that, through drills, my action gradually became more upright. But my pace didn’t drop. In the 2015 World Cup I was bowling really fast—I was among the top speeds. Out of my 129 ODI wickets, 60 to 70 came from reverse swing—either bowled or through yorkers. My action played a big role in that.
Which match do you remember the most?
Rubel: Definitely that Adelaide match. It was a high-pressure World Cup game—win and we go to the quarterfinals. Everything considered, it’s the best match of my life.
And which match would you like to forget?
Rubel: The final of the Nidahas Trophy—it made me cry, the one where Dinesh Karthik hit that shot. We lost a match in Sri Lanka that we had almost won—that’s my regret. I rushed things a bit; I could have spoken more with Shakib bhai. After conceding the first boundary, I panicked.
But many people mention the 2009 Mirpur match where Muttiah Muralitharan hit you and won the game for Sri Lanka…
Rubel: No, not that one. That was only my second international match. There were 25–26 thousand spectators, and I was nervous. There were also issues with field placement.
You’re now a motorbike businessman. Do you want to stay connected with cricket in any way?
Rubel: Yes, I do. I want to stay involved with cricket so that I remain connected to the field.