Saifuddin announces two-month hiatus from cricket, cites challenges with mental health

Mohammad Saifuddin, the 27-year-old all-rounder from Bangladesh, has confirmed that he is suffering from depression and requested the BCB to not consider him for selection in any format of the game for at least two months.

It has been revealed that his depression primarily stems from missing this year's T20 World Cup and the ongoing Global T20 Canada 2024, according to Cricbuzz.

Due to the ongoing political crisis in Bangladesh, which has halted all activities including cricket, he was unable to obtain a visa in time, leading to his missed participation in the GT20 Canada for the Montreal Tigers.

Regarding earlier incidents, Saifuddin had sustained an injury to his ribs while working out on July 26, further complicating his participation in the GT20. A BCB medical committee official confirmed that Saifuddin was ruled out of the league due to the injury, deeming it too risky for him to endure a long flight while in such pain.

"Saifuddin hurt his rib and came to us just before his flight. After assessing him, we found it too risky for him to travel for 20-22 hours with that kind of pain. He came to the BCB a day before his scheduled flight on July 24 after pulling a chest muscle while working out. Despite primary treatment, his pain persisted, leading to our decision to not allow him to participate in the Global T20," stated an official of the medical committee of the BCB to Cricbuzz.

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The BCB declared on Wednesday that the Bangladesh A team will arrive in Islamabad on August 10 to play two four-day matches and three one-day matches against Pakistan Shaheens. These fixtures were rescheduled due to the ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh.

The BCB had granted Saifuddin a No Objection Certificate valid until August 8, as he was originally slated to be part of the A team traveling to Pakistan on August 11.

The official also informed that Saifuddin felt distressed about missing the GT20, as his NOC was valid only until August 8, rather than August 12, which wouldn't have allowed him to partake in Qualifier 1 of the tournament and the match/matches to follow (based on the result of Qualifier 1). Furthermore, Saifuddin was disheartened by his omission from Bangladesh's 15-member squad for the ICC T20 World Cup, with selectors choosing Tanzim Hasan Shakib instead.

A member of the selection panel commented regarding Saifuddin's interaction with him which occurred via email.

"He sent me an email on July 30, after the A team was announced, expressing his mental distress over missing the Global T20 and the last World Cup. He requested not to be considered for any form of cricket for the next two months and to view his letter positively. I replied 'noted' and mentioned we need to talk when he returns to Dhaka to understand what he's going through," mentioned the representative.

Bangladesh is slated to travel to Pakistan on August 17 for a two-match Test series. The fixtures will take place in Rawalpindi from August 21 and in Karachi from August 30.