"If I don't play well, I will be dropped too" - Mehidy Hasan downplays Litton Das axe 

Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan has downplayed the selection committee's decision to drop senior batter Litton Das for the final ODI of the three-game series against Sri Lanka.

Making sense of the move, Hasan said that players who don't perform, including him, are bound to be dropped and added that nothing much should be made of it. The 29-year-old Litton had a poor 2023 in the ODI format, scoring 651 runs in 28 innings at an average of 26.04, with five half-centuries.

He was dismissed without scoring in the first two one-dayers against Sri Lanka, following which he was axed from the side for the third and final game of the series.

At a pre-match press conference ahead of the third ODI, which will be played in Chattogram on Monday, March 18, Hasan did not see anything negative in the move to drop Litton.

"Litton da has played a lot of good innings. There are several memorable innings. I don't think his being dropped is that much of an issue. I believe he can come back. He has that ability. We know what kind of player Litton is. He has been dropped, it's nothing much. Maybe he is in a bit of off-form. I believe he will return to the Bangladesh team," the all-rounder was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

"You have to play in the national team by performing consistently. If I don't play well, I will be dropped too. The national team is a place where you have to establish yourself through performances. Look Mushfiq bhai [Mushfiqur Rahman] is here and is providing Bangladesh team with consistent services for a long time. Everyone has their ups and downs," Hasan went on to add.

The three-game series is level at 1-1. While Bangladesh won the first game by six wickets, Sri Lanka hit back with a three-wicket triumph in the second match.

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"Good thing that we are playing on good wickets" - Mehidy Hasan

The first two games of the series were played on good batting surfaces, with teams chasing down totals without much trouble.

Dew made life difficult for the side fielding second. That issue, though, won't be there in the third ODI, as it will be a day game. Sharing his thoughts on the surfaces in use for the series, Hasan asserted:

"It's a good thing that we are playing on good wickets. It's an advantage for us. We always look for results whether we are winning or losing. When we go to big tournaments, we play on true wickets.

"On those wickets, there are challenges for pacers and spinners. Our habits get better (playing on such wickets)."

The 26-year-old Hasan has played 96 ODIs, scoring 1,306 runs and claiming 104 wickets with his off-spin.