For the first time, Nahid Rana has been called up to play in an overseas franchise league—and it’s none other than the PSL, for Peshawar Zalmi. The Bangladesh fast bowler was set to share the field with stars like Babar Azam and Mohammad Haris. But now, uncertainty looms over his participation in the tournament.
The reason? Zimbabwe is set to tour Bangladesh for a two-match Test series during the PSL, and Nahid is a key part of Bangladesh’s Test squad.
Zimbabwe will arrive in Bangladesh on April 15, with the first Test starting on April 20 and the second on April 28, which, if it runs the full five days, will end on May 2. Meanwhile, the PSL kicks off on April 11, with Peshawar Zalmi playing their first match on April 12.
Before Bangladesh’s first Test on April 20, Peshawar has three matches, the last of which is on April 19. But that’s hardly relevant—Test cricket isn’t like franchise cricket, where a player can feature in back-to-back matches in different countries.
“Rana can bowl at 150 km/h with serious pace. In April, when the tournament is happening here (Pakistan), such a bowler will be crucial.”
— Mohammad Akram, Director of Peshawar Zalmi, after signing Nahid Rana
Test cricket requires full physical fitness and mental preparation. It’s unrealistic for Nahid to play a match in Pakistan on April 19 and fly to Bangladesh the next day for a Test match. However, Peshawar also has a match on April 14. If he plays that game and then joins the Test squad, there might still be a window for him to manage both commitments. But will the BCB take that risk? Probably not.
If Nahid stays with Bangladesh for the Test series, he will miss at least seven PSL matches for Peshawar, which could disrupt the team’s plans.
Peshawar had a specific strategy when they picked Nahid—they wanted his raw pace to strengthen their bowling attack. Director Mohammad Akram made that clear after the signing:
“Rana can bowl at 150 km/h with serious pace. In April, when the tournament is happening here (Pakistan), such a bowler will be crucial. In the last two seasons, we lacked firepower in our pace attack. We wanted express pace, and that’s why we signed Nahid Rana.”
Even if Nahid plays both Test matches, will he have the energy to deliver the same impact in the PSL afterward? That’s a question for later. Right now, the real question is—will he even get the chance to play?
And what does Nahid himself want? In an interview with Prothom Alo just a day ago, he said:
“My focus is only on the national team. If BCB allows me (to play in the league), I’ll go. If not, no problem.”
At the time, Nahid probably didn’t imagine that he’d be caught in such a tricky dilemma so soon—between national duty and a big franchise opportunity.
When asked about the situation, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury told Prothom Alo:
“Our policy is to prioritize international matches. Any specific decision regarding a player will be taken by Cricket Operations. As far as I know, no decision has been made on Nahid yet.”
For now, Nahid’s PSL fate hangs in the balance.
