Bangladesh PM orders new house to be built for Mehedi Hasan
England's tour of Bangladesh saw the rise of a young Bangladeshi spinner, Mehedi Hasan, who tormented the English line-up. The right-arm bowler even proved to be the match-winner in the second Test in Dhaka with the figures of 6-77 in the second innings. The off-spinner received heaps of praise from the cricketing fraternities across the globe for being a thorn in the skin of English batsmen during the Test series.
Following his exploits in the Tests, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has ordered the deputy commissioner of Khulna to find land and get a house built for the cricketer.
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The Bangladeshi PM's order came in after several media reports that highlighted the struggle of Hasan in his quest of becoming a cricketer. The media particularly pointed out the fact about how the young off-spinner captained the under-15, 17 and 19 teams successfully despite being living in poverty.
Hasan's father, Jalal Hossain works as a driver for a rent-a-car service. At the moment, the young cricketer and his family live in a tin-shed house in Khulna city’s Khalishpur which has two rooms. Over the years, the medals won by Hasan have been kept in another room, a makeshift one built on the veranda with bamboo mats.
Following Bangladesh’s sensational win over England, the media highlighted the fact that the alley to the house was too narrow for even rickshaws to enter. And ever since his match-winning spell in the first two Tests, chairs have been kept in the alley as the number of guests visiting his house has risen.
The deputy press secretary of Bangladesh, Ashraful Aslam, said that the PM had contacted every government official concerned with the shifting of the 19-year old and his family to a new house. The Indian Express quoted him as saying, "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is building a house for cricketer Mehedi Hasan Miraz. Principal Secretary Abul Kalam Azad has already conveyed her instructions to the deputy commissioner of Khulna. The district administration will find a suitable place for the house."
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Mehedi Hasan had a dream start to his international career as the right-arm off-spinner took 19 wickets in the two-match Test series which included three five-wicket hauls. The bowler was praised for maintaining a tight line and length throughout the series. His impressive average of 15.63 and a handy strike-rate of 34.53 earned him the Man of the Series award.