3 promising fast-bowlers from Bangladesh who could dominate in coming years ft. Shoriful Islam

Bangladesh have missed a genuine wicket-taking pacer for the past few years. Be it injuries or bad form, they have not been a regular feature in the playing XI of the national team in any of the formats.

Although Bangladesh have the presence of Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan, and Nasum Ahmed as key spinners, they lack potent fast-bowling options. Players like Rubel Hossain and Taskin Ahmed showed promise, but have been hampered by injuries and bad form.

Although Mustafizur Rahman last played a Test match in June 2022, he has been reliable for Bangladesh in the limited-overs format. With a combined wicket tally of 271 wickets in ODIs and T20Is, he can go down as one of Bangladesh's greatest bowlers.

'Fizz' recently made his debut for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and took four wickets against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Overall, Rahman has done well to secure 51 wickets in 49 IPL appearances at an economy of 7.92. The left-arm pacer could become the second Bangladesh player after Shakib Al Hasan to have a long-standing presence in the IPL.

On that note, let's look at three emerging fast bowlers from Bangladesh who could have a promising future.

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1) Nahid Rana

Touted as Bangladesh's fastest bowler, Nahid Rana threw rockets in the ongoing Test against Sri Lanka, which is also his international debut game. He bowled at a consistent pace of over 140+ kph, and finished with figures of 3/87.

Moreover, Rana's ability to fire bouncers at that pace is a trait that was missing from Bangladesh's arsenal.

Rana broke into the international scene after picking up 63 wickets in 15 first-class games, with best match figures of 9/127. If he maintains line-length, along with his pace, the youngster will certainly trouble opposition batters in the future.

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2) Khaled Ahmed

A terrific exponent of swing bowling, Khaled Ahmed is another bright prospect for the Bangladesh team. Although he made his Test debut in November 2018 against Zimbabwe, he could only feature in two more games.

However, with terrific domestic form, he stormed back into the side and took a total of eight wickets in two matches against South Africa in April 2022. He registered his maiden five-wicket haul against the West Indies in June 2022. Since then, the 31-year-old has cemented a permanent place in the side.

In the ongoing Test against Sri Lanka, Ahmed took 3/72, including wickets of Kusal Mendis and Dimuth Karunaratne. So, with optimum pace and wicket-taking acumen, the right-arm pacer can be an asset to the team.

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3) Shoriful Islam

Apart from Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam is another left-arm pacer, who has been making the right noise for the last two years. Making his debut in 2021 across all formats, he has been a regular member of the limited-overs team.

In particular, Islam shone brightly against England in the 2023 World Cup, picking up the wickets of Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone. The 22-year-old used his strengths, slower balls, and in-swing deliveries to good effect.

Islam has now started to set foot in the longest format of the game. In nine Tests, he has scalped 20 wickets and can be a credible left-arm pace option for Bangladesh.