The Bangladesh cricket team has produced some outstanding bowlers over the years who have troubled even the best batting lineups in world cricket. According to the latest cricket information, Bangladesh is still developing as a cricket nation; they have unearthed several talented bowlers who have risen to prominence on the international stage through sheer hard work and determination. In this article, you will look at some of the best bowlers to have represented Bangladesh and made their mark in international cricket through their bowling exploits.
Mushfiqur Rahim
One of the first names that comes to mind when thinking of Bangladesh’s best ever bowlers is Mushfiqur Rahim. A wicket-keeper batsman by trade, Mushfiqur has been a stalwart of the Bangladesh team across all formats for over a decade now. However, what many people may not realize is that Mushfiqur is also a more than handy off-spin bowler. He may not bowl frequently nowadays given his primary role is with the bat, but in his early international career, Mushfiqur picked up quite a few wickets with his accurate off-spin. His best figures of 5/33 came against Zimbabwe in an ODI in 2011. Mushfiqur is a crafty bowler who varies his pace and uses changes of trajectory and flight well. He understands the art of bowling economically and picking up wickets. Even now, he remains Bangladesh’s most successful bowler with the bat having picked up 53 wickets across formats.
Shakib Al Hasan
Undoubtedly Bangladesh’s greatest ever cricketer, Shakib Al Hasan is head and shoulders above anyone else on this list as the country’s leading wicket-taker in all three formats. A genuine all-rounder who has dominated with both bat and ball, the 35-year-old Shakib is still going strong for his national side. With the ball, Shakib relies on his sharp turn and accuracy to build pressure on the opposition. He is a master of varying his pace and using flight and guile to deceive batsmen. Shakib has taken over 700 international wickets for Bangladesh so far, including over 400 in ODIs alone. He is a big match performer who has troubled some of the best teams with his left-arm orthodox spin. Shakib remains the number one ranked all-rounder in ODI cricket for a reason and is undoubtedly Bangladesh’s greatest ever bowler.
Abdur Razzak
One of the stalwarts of the Bangladesh team in the 2000s and early 2010s, left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak was a wicket-taking option for Bangladesh for over a decade. Razzak relied more on accuracy and consistency than turn and was difficult to get away. He built excellent pressure on the opposition with his nagging line and length. Razzak picked up over 200 ODI wickets for Bangladesh at a very good average of 32.13. He also took over 100 wickets in Test cricket. Razzak was the leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh in both ODIs and Tests for many years before being surpassed by Shakib Al Hasan in recent times. He played an important role in Bangladesh’s rise as a cricketing nation with some fine performances with the ball.
Rubel Hossain
While he may not have had the best of careers overall with injuries hampering his progress, Rubel Hossain showed at his best what a potent bowler he could be with his sheer pace. Blessed with a high arm action that generated express pace, the right-arm fast bowler could regularly top 145 kph and troubled even top international batsmen on his day. Rubel’s best performance came in the 2014 Asia Cup where he blew away the Pakistan top-order with a fiery spell of fast bowling to return figures of 4/21. He also played his part in Bangladesh’s historic victory over India in the 2007 World Cup. Rubel proved that Bangladesh was capable of producing genuine fast bowlers who could compete at the highest level.
Mustafizur Rahman
Often called the ‘Fizz’, Mustafizur Rahman has been a revelation for Bangladesh since bursting onto the scene in 2015. A classic left-arm seamer who derives movement both in the air and off the pitch, Mustafizur has been Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket with over 100 scalps. The 26-year-old has also taken over 150 wickets across all formats so far in his career. Mustafizur has a natural ability to generate prodigious swing both ways and uses changes of pace very effectively. He proved his class on the big stage, taking a five-wicket haul on ODI debut against India. Mustafizur has shown he can succeed in all conditions and formats. He is still improving as a bowler with experience and could get even better.
Taskin Ahmed
Emerging during Bangladesh’s 2015 World Cup, Taskin Ahmed announced himself as a genuine fast bowling prospect. Blessed with a smooth action and ability to consistently top 145 kph, Taskin used his pace well in English conditions to trouble the best batsmen. He took 7 wickets in just 4 matches during that World Cup. Since then, Taskin has grown into a fine fast bowler capable of leading Bangladesh’s bowling attack. The 27-year-old relies on accuracy with the new ball and subtle changes of pace in the death overs. He is learning different variations too. Taskin has taken over 100 wickets so far and is Bangladesh’s pace spearhead. If he stays fit, he could become their leading wicket-taker in Tests in the future.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz
A true all-rounder who has excelled with both bat and ball, Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been a revelation for Bangladesh in the last few years. Still only 25, Mehidy is a wily off-spinner who relies on natural variations of pace as well as flight rather than turn to trouble batsmen. He is a clever bowler who builds pressure through accuracy. Mehidy took a five-wicket haul against India on debut and has since become Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker in Tests. He is a big match performer with best figures of 7/94 against the same opposition. Mehidy is also a lower-order batsman capable of match-winning innings. He is developing into a fine all-format player for Bangladesh.
Conclusion
While Bangladeshi cricket has come a long way in the last two decades, it remains a developing cricket nation looking to compete consistently against the elite teams. However, through latest news regarding cricket, sheer determination as well as talent, Bangladesh has unearthed some world-class bowlers who can hold their own against the best. The likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak, Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy Hasan Miraz have all proven that with the right temperament as well as skill, Bangladeshi cricketers can succeed at the highest level. As long as they continue producing such talented bowlers alongside improving other aspects of the game, Bangladesh cricket has a bright future.