|| CF Correspondent ||

Bangladesh pace bowler Rubel Hossain on Wednesday brushed aside all speculations regarding his Test future as he insisted he is totally committed to play longer format cricket.

There is a speculation roaming around for a while in the country’s cricket fraternity that suggests Rubel does not want to play Test cricket and had even expressed his intention to the team management.

“It’s a total lie [that I don’t want to play Test],” Rubel told reporters on Wednesday. “I don’t know who spread the rumor, because why won’t I like to play Test cricket! Cricket is my bread and butter, so there is no way I can cheat with it.

“I never said that I don’t want to play Test cricket. It is not that I don’t want to bowl in long spells because if that was the case than I wouldn’t have played BCL (franchise-based first-class tournament) and could’ve easily avoid that. But I am playing because I don’t want to cheat with my profession.”

Rubel added that he was disappointed to see no pace bowlers included in the team for the second Test against West Indies, but insisted it is the path they have been following for a long time at home.

Bangladesh did not take any pace bowler in the playing XI for the first time when they opted to field four spinners against the Windies side in the second Test during the just-concluded two-match Test series.

“I think the situation was such that the wicket was prepared for the spinners. Naturally it is disappointing when the spinners are doing well and the pace bowlers cannot play [in Test]. I don’t think ODI’s will be the same as the situation is different. There won’t be so much spin on the wicket,’’ said Rubel.