This is what we call a perfect return! After a year away, Nasum Ahmed made a remarkable comeback in the Bangladesh jersey, contributing significantly with both bat and ball to guide the team to victory.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto was named the Player of the Match, but Nasum Ahmed also received recognition at the awards ceremony. He was honored with the ‘Game Changer of the Match’ award, a well-deserved acknowledgment for his performance, as he was the one who turned the tide of the match!
Nasum’s return performance, with brilliant contributions with both bat and ball, was certainly a highlight of the match. The burden that had weighed on him since last November seemed to lighten a bit as well.
He last played for Bangladesh in November of last year against Australia in Pune, and was seen again in the national team on Saturday. He had been absent for much of the year, but his presence in the country’s cricket scene had been a topic of much discussion, albeit under difficult circumstances.
In November, news spread through media outlets about an incident during the World Cup when former head coach Chandika Hathurusingha allegedly raised his hand against Nasum. This sparked a massive uproar in the cricketing community. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) formed a committee to investigate the cause of the World Cup failure, with this incident drawing significant attention during the inquiry.
Discussions continued for days, with frequent questions to BCB officials, including the then-president Nazmul Hassan. Various answers emerged over time, and eventually, Hathurusingha left his position due to the fallout from this incident. Following the changes in the government and cricket board leadership, the current BCB president, Faruk Ahmed, took a personal interest in investigating the matter, speaking with Nasum and addressing it in the World Cup failure report.
Despite the controversies, Nasum did not speak out and failed to earn a place in the team for several series. The only series Bangladesh played during the year was a one-day series against Sri Lanka in March, where Taijul received the opportunity ahead of Nasum. He missed out on the T20 World Cup and the recent tour to India. Finally, the Afghanistan series opened the door for his international return.
However, some bad luck followed him here too. Due to visa complications, he missed the first match and only joined the team before the second match. He made the most of the opportunity when he was included in the playing XI.
Nasum’s performance in the match was truly impressive. Before he got the ball in hand, he faced a challenging batting situation. After quick dismissals of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mahmudullah, Bangladesh found themselves at a precarious position with just one recognized batter at the crease—Nasum, on his return match.
He formed a solid partnership with debutant Zakir Ali, taking their time initially before launching a counter-attack. Nasum was the one to guide Zakir by hitting a six off Nangelia Khakot, who had taken three wickets earlier. The pair put together a valuable 46-run stand in 41 balls, with Nasum contributing 25 off 24 balls, including two sixes.
After Shanto and Mahmudullah’s dismissals, the team, which had struggled to reach 220, managed to post a total of 252.
Later, Nasum delivered with the ball too. When Rehmat Shah and Sediqullah Atal were threatening to take the game away from Bangladesh, Nasum stepped in as the savior. In the 17th over, captain Shanto brought him in, and on his first ball, he removed Atal for 39. In the next over, he bowled a brilliant delivery to clean bowl the dangerous Azmatullah Omarzai. Afghanistan couldn’t recover from there, and Nasum took the final wicket to seal the win.
Despite having a tough World Cup with expensive bowling and no wickets, Nasum made a strong return with a match-winning performance, taking three wickets in his comeback match.
Though he wasn’t officially named Player of the Match, Nasum was undoubtedly the match hero!
After the match, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who scored 76 runs and was named Player of the Match, said that the impact of the partnership between Zakir and Nasum was even greater than his own innings. He also praised the bowling performance, especially the efforts of Miraz and Nasum.
“Miraz and Nasum deserve credit for the way they bowled. The way we started with the ball, Taskin again removed Gurbaz, a key batsman for Afghanistan. Overall, both our batting and bowling groups performed well,” said Shanto.
“When we lost wickets early, the partnership between Zakir and Nasum gave us the momentum we needed. This is what I expect from our lower order. The way they batted was excellent, and I’m very happy with their performance. I hope they can maintain this level.”
