Phil Simmons wants to give Nahid Rana a chance to play at least one match in the T20 series against the West Indies, but the coach also emphasized the importance of managing the young fast bowler’s workload carefully.
Nahid has already made waves in Test cricket recently, and last month, he debuted in ODIs for Bangladesh. Now, the young pacer is set to step into the international T20 arena. Simmons confirmed that Nahid will be included in the Bangladesh squad for the T20 series in the West Indies and is likely to feature in at least one match.
Simmons revealed this during a conversation with commentator Ian Bishop after the Jamaica Test. While expressing admiration for Nahid, Simmons also highlighted the need to consider the physical demands on the 22-year-old.
Nahid made a memorable Test debut in March against Sri Lanka, taking five wickets across two innings. He further caught the cricket world’s attention during the Pakistan tour in August, claiming four wickets in the second innings of the second Test in Rawalpindi to help Bangladesh secure a dominant position. Beyond the wickets, his raw pace turned heads globally.
Continuing his form, Nahid picked up his first five-wicket haul in the Jamaica Test, dismantling the Caribbean batting lineup with aggressive bowling. His pace regularly clocked over 150 km/h, once again putting him in the spotlight.
Ian Bishop, a former West Indies fast bowler and popular commentator, has been vocal about his admiration for Nahid on social media. Simmons even messaged Bishop about Nahid after seeing one such post, sparking discussions between the former teammates about the young bowler.
After the Jamaica Test, Bishop asked Simmons for his thoughts on Nahid. Smiling, Simmons admitted that he was even more impressed with Nahid’s performance:
“I was impressed with him in Sharjah when I saw him for the first time. He played one ODI (against Afghanistan) and did really well. But here, on these kinds of pitches, to be so consistent and maintain a good length is remarkable. Even at the end of the day yesterday, he was bowling at around 145 km/h.”
In addition to his pace and aggression, Simmons praised Nahid’s maturity, which has exceeded expectations for someone so young.
“He’s a young fast bowler, and maybe we underestimated his ability to read match situations. The things he told me before going out onto the field made me wonder, ‘Are you sure this is only your fourth or fifth Test match?’ His pace is impressive, but what’s even more remarkable is his hunger to learn. He’ll keep improving, and I’m sure we’ll see a lot more from him.”
The process of “seeing more” includes testing Nahid in T20 cricket. Courtney Walsh, another West Indies legend and former Bangladesh bowling coach, joined the discussion during the Jamaica Test. Walsh, renowned for his fitness and ability to bowl tirelessly, served as an example in a conversation about managing Nahid’s workload.
Simmons explained that while they are eager to see Nahid in T20s, they are carefully monitoring his workload to keep him injury-free:
“We’re doing our best to balance his bowling workload so that we can keep him sharp and away from injuries. He has played one ODI. Hopefully, we’ll see him in the T20 squad too and get him into at least one match to see what he can bring in this format. You can’t know unless you play him.”
“He’s part of our ODI plans, and we’ll test him in T20s to see where he can go from there. But yes, we are trying to manage him as carefully as possible.”
Though Nahid has been part of six Test series with Bangladesh, he has only played more than one Test in the Pakistan series. In last month’s ODI series against Afghanistan, he was included in the squad but played just one match, where he impressed with two wickets despite the team’s loss.
