Taskin Ahmed

Much before his international debut, Taskin Ahmed became a sensation in Bangladesh, thanks to a video that surfaced all over the internet. The video showcased his spell against England under-19 in the year 2012. His raw pace and the ability to hit the deck hard impressed everyone and the selectors started to fast track him. 

He is currently the second fastest Bangladeshi bowler having clocked 148 kph after Rubel Hossain, who has clocked 149.5 kph.

Taskin was in the Bangladesh team for the Under-19 World Cup held in 2012. He was mighty impressive with the ball and was the leading wicket taker in the tournament. The following year he was out of cricket due to injuries and had to undergo a knee surgery that kept him out till the end of 2013.

Selectors were impressed with his raw pace and Ahmed made his much awaited T20I debut against Australia in the ICC World T20 2014.

Three months down the line, Ahmed made his ODI debut against the visiting Indian team, and the fast bowler had a dream debut, picking up his maiden fifer as he completely decimated the Indian top order. He finished the match with figures of 5 for 28. Despite his efforts, Bangladesh lost the match by 47 runs.

Impressive performances in the shorter formats earned him a place in Bangladesh’s World Cup squad for 2015. Ahmed was the star bowler for the Tigers, picking up 9 wickets in 6 matches. He picked up 2 crucial wickets in a must win game against England, to take his side into the quarterfinals of the World Cup. 

The player was an integral part of the ODI squad that defeated India at home in 2015. He was the most economical bowler for the Tigers in the calendar year, and eventually earned his place in the 2016 Asia Cup. He was average in the tournament, registering 3 wickets in 5 matches, as Bangladesh lost to India in the finals.

Ahmed was picked in the Bangladesh squad for the 2016 World T20 in India. He played the preliminary matches, but the pacer was banned from bowling as his action was found to be illegal and he was sent back home midway through the tournament.

After being in the ODI and T20I setup since 2014, Ahmed finally got a chance to break into the Test squad in 2017. With minor changes to his action, he finally made his Test debut against the Kiwis at Wellington. 

Ahmed’s career has been full of ups and downs. The pacer was the find of Bangladesh Cricket in 2012, and since then has performed well in patches. With sufficient pace in his arsenal, he has the ability to trouble even the best in the business. 

(As of March 2021)