Bangladesh cricket is in good hands. One can sense an excellent mix of youth and experience in the squad. With the T20 World Cup coming up in June later this year, one can expect the Tigers to perform well and shake off the ghosts of their poor performances over the years.
They have won just nine out of the 38 games they have played in the T20 World Cup since its inception in 2007. With the inclusion of youngsters in their squad, one can hope that the Tigers end up shaking the perennial tag of being underachievers.
However, the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, and Mushfiqur Rahim may be coming to the end of their respective careers. This might open the door for many young cricketers in the country.
In this feature piece, we bring you the top emerging talents of Bangladesh:
Saif Hassan
One of the finest opening batters to come through the ranks, Saif Hassan’s ability to bat for long periods makes him stand out from his competitors. Born on 30 October 1998, Hassan has entered the ranks for Bangladesh in age-group cricket and has already played in six Tests and five T20Is. Although he has yet to be able to make a mark for himself, Saif is an exciting prospect for the Tigers in the year ahead.
Mahedi Hasan
Mahedi Hasan, representing the Khulna division in domestic cricket, is another exciting prospect for Bangladesh in the year ahead. Mahedi is a brilliant off-spinner and can be more than handy with the bat. He was in the news a few years ago when it was noted that by the time he earned his maiden ODI call-up, he had already played in 159 domestic matches across all formats. One must remember not to confuse him with Mehidy Hasan Miraz, an off-spinning all-rounder who plays alongside him at Khulna.
Towhid Hridoy
Although Towhid Hridoy is a right-handed batsman, he is among the few in the next generation of cricketers who can be trusted to carry the mantle of Tamim Iqbal. Hridoy is one of the most technically sound batters that Bangladesh has seen in the recent past. However, he also can hit the ball a long way, which has seen him play 27 ODIs and 11 T20Is already for the Tigers. Hridoy is a fearless batter who cares little about what opposition players think of or serve up to him. He goes his way and rarely lets the criticisms or praises of others affect his game plan.
Shoriful Islam
Bangladesh have always been blessed with top-quality fast bowlers, and young Shoriful Islam has not merely been another addition to the ranks. The left-arm seamer offers a lot of variety owing to the angle from which he delivers the ball. Shoriful also has a lot of options in his armory, and he brings them out as and when the situation demands him to do so. Shoriful is a successor to the legendary Mustafizur Rahman, who has been one of Bangladesh’s finest servants in the last decade.
Tanzid Hasan
Young Tanzid Hasan is one of Bangladesh’s most exciting talents. He is, for sure, one of the best-emerging players for the year 2024. Tanzid is a rock-solid opening batter who has already played in 14 ODIs for the Tigers. Although Tanzid has yet to debut in Test cricket or T20Is, one can safely assume that he is not far from doing so. Tanzid has also played in 20 first-class matches so far and has a stellar average 40 in that game format. He will serve Bangladesh very well if they allow him to open the innings for them in the longest format of the game.
