Lost in the rotating door of Test openers for Bangladesh in the early 2020s, Saif Hassan came in with the reputation of someone who can play the long game, but wasn't given too many opportunities to make that spot his own.

Strong performances in age-group and domestic cricket saw him make his Test debut against Pakistan in 2020. His start didn't go to plan, getting dismissed for a duck in his first innings, and he couldn't make a mark in any of the six Tests he played either. He was left out and hasn't been able to make it back since then at the Test level.

Saif started taking cricket seriously as a career after moving to Bangladesh from Saudi Arabia where his father worked. While he is primarily viewed as a long-format player, he has worked on his short-format skills over time. He wasn't picked in the BPL 2018-19, but managed to make his way in the national team three years later. But just like in Tests, his first stint in the shortest format also proved to be shortlived, with question marks hanging over his shot-making range and strike rate.