Abrar Hussain: Nurul Huda Shipon, a youth from South Sangor village of Baniachang upazila in Habiganj district, has become a member of the National Cricket Team of Finland, according to a report by the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
Shipon is the son of a retired government official, and has five other siblings — two brothers and three sisters. After completing his undergraduate degree in physics from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Shipon began his Master’s degree in Finland.
Later, while studying for his PhD, Shipon started dabbling in the local cricket scene. He participated in the Finnish League by playing in the Bengal Tiger Cricket Club, and soon got the chance to play in the “Elite League”, Finland’s topmost cricket tournament.
However, while playing for the national team, Shipon lost in his debut match against Isle of Man. It was the first qualifier match from Europe for the ICC T20 World Cup on August 29. Although Shipon lost his debut match a few days back, he is hopeful that he will have better luck in the future.
While talking to the Dhaka Tribune in the early hours of Wednesday, Shipon said, “After finishing my Honors from SUST, I went to Finland to continue my higher studies. I started playing cricket alongside my work. I soon got a call to play for the national team after playing well for the local Finnish League.”
According to Shipon, none of the players on the national team are professional cricket players. All of them have other jobs—one is a doctor, while another is an engineer.
“I am an all-rounder,” Shipon said. “Besides being a right-handed batsman, I play the ball pretty well.”
Talking about his personal life, Shipon said he will complete his PhD in 2021, and is hopeful of returning home afterwards. Among his brothers, Shipon is the youngest. His eldest brother works at Habiganj Post Office, while the middle one lives in Poland. Two of his sisters are married, while the youngest one is studying at a private university.