A rare specialist left-handed batsman, Faisal Hossain established himself as a solid first-class player in his domestic team Chittagong, before marking his entry into international cricket in 2003-04. 

Hossain debuted in Tests as well as ODIs against the West Indies in 2004. He is a sweet timer of the ball and is more of a reflex player than a technically perfect one. The left-arm spinner came under suspicion for his bowling in 2007, but was later allowed to bowl under supervision. After a strong domestic season where he finished as the leading run-scorer, Hossain was recalled into the Test team to face Sri Lanka in a home series.