Hattrick is the mark of a big player: Razzak

Two in two. On a hattrick. Abdur Razzak had experienced it several times, not once or twice. But the much-awaited hattrick was not happening somehow. So close, but not close enough.

At a certain point, the veteran decided to stop thinking about the hattrick.

December 3, 2010. It was that kind of a situation once again. Razzak sent back Zimbabwe's Prosper Utseya and in the next delivery, trapped Raymond Price leg before. As decided, he didn't think about the hattrick. Christopher Mpofu tried to defend a straighter one but the ball struck his pad. It looked plumb in the naked eye. Umpire Enamul Haque Moni took his time but his finger went up in the end. The slow left-arm bowler became only the second Bangladeshi bowler to claim an ODI hattrick.

Seven bowlers have picked up hattricks for Bangladesh in international cricket. In this episode of The Business Standard's (TBS) hattrick-hero series, we bring you the story of Abdur Razzak who claimed a hattrick in an ODI against Zimbabwe in Mirpur ten years ago.

In Razzak's words

Certainly, you feel you are over the moon when you pick up a hattrick. It's an exceptional feat in cricket. Not many people can experience it. You have to have the luck on your side as well. Yes, it feels great because I achieved it and the team also won.

Usually, when a bowler picks up a hattrick, his team is more likely to win. It was satisfying to claim a hattrick and help the team win the match. In the end, what matters the most is the victory of the team. It would've been merely a personal achievement if the team had not won.

I can remember a very interesting incident. Mashrafe (Mortaza) was fielding at mid-on. He was cheering me up. He asked Moni Bhai (Enamul Haque Moni), the umpire if he would give the batsman out or not. He laughingly replied, "The batsman will certainly be given out if he is out, don't worry."

I picked up a five-wicket haul including a hattrick and the team won. You can't expect any better than that as a bowler. I was extremely delighted.

It feels good to reminisce about the good times. The hattrick is a very good memory. But I also remember the times when I went through lean phases. 

I was on a hattrick many times. For example, I once got two in two against Sri Lanka, but could not make it three in three. That day it just came off. It was a special moment.

It's definitely a big moment for a bowler but it cannot be the most satisfactory achievement. I would say, contributing to the team keeping up the consistency is what that matters the most.

Picking up the hattrick is definitely one of the most memorable moments in my career. Besides, a five-wicket haul is also a great thing, no matter who the opponent is. But it's difficult to name one if I am asked to pick my best performance.

I look at it differently. For example, sometimes a wicketless spell satisfies me. I can remember a match against India in the Asia Cup. I opened the bowling. I couldn't pick up a wicket but was able to contain the Indian batsmen. They had a stellar batting line-up with the likes of Sehwag, Tendulkar and Ganguly. 

To be honest, I used to feel inferior when I saw the bowlers with hattricks. To be honest, for a moment after the hattrick, I thought I had matched their level.