‘Nahid Rana has the potential to become a superstar of world cricket’

Former West Indies cricketer and commentator Ian Bishop is highly optimistic about young Bangladeshi pacer Nahid Rana. According to him, thanks to his pace and bounce, Nahid is one of the most promising fast bowlers in world cricket. Bishop even sees the potential for a new chapter in Bangladesh cricket to begin with him. However, he emphasizes the importance of keeping Nahid injury-free to ensure that this potential is fully realized.

During the Mirpur Test, Bishop mentioned Nahid Rana several times from the commentary box—even though the young pacer is not part of the squad, let alone the playing XI, for the ongoing series against the West Indies. He is currently in Australia, undergoing a rehabilitation process to recover from an injury.

Nahid is expected to return to bowling soon, though it is not yet certain when he will be fully match-fit. A clearer picture of his physical condition and the progress of his rehabilitation will emerge once he begins bowling again.

‘Every team in the world is looking for a bowler like Nahid’

Nahid has already gained recognition in international cricket for his pace and bounce. Bishop had previously expressed disappointment when Nahid was unavailable for Bangladesh’s series against Australia last August; he is similarly absent for the current two-Test series against the West Indies.

Despite his current absence from the field, Bishop remains optimistic about Nahid’s future. He believes that the young pacer’s speed sets him apart from the rest.

“I believe Nahid is one of the promising superstars of world cricket,” says Bishop. “If you look around the world, many young fast bowlers are emerging. Nahid is as fast as most of them—and can even bowl faster than many.”

Bishop also noted Nahid’s age, suggesting that the young pacer has a long career ahead of him to continue his development. He believes that if Nahid can effectively harness his potential, he has the makings of a major star in international cricket. ## ‘Keep him fit’

Along with his talent and pace, Bishop also places great importance on Nahid’s fitness. In his view, the natural speed of a fast bowler is an asset that cannot simply be manufactured at will. Therefore, to ensure that a bowler like Nahid gets regular playing opportunities, it is essential to keep him injury-free.

As Bishop puts it, “I believe Nahid has the potential to take Bangladesh into a new chapter and reach new heights. After all, you cannot just buy pace. Every team in the world is looking for a bowler like Nahid Rana—so, keep him fit.”

Although Bangladesh is currently deprived of Nahid’s pace due to his recent injury, Bishop sees a glimmer of hope in the performances of the team’s other pacers.

Bishop impressed by the progress in Bangladesh’s pace bowling

Bangladesh secured a victory against Australia in the Darwin Test even without Nahid Rana. In that match, Hasan Mahmud played a pivotal role by taking five wickets. Subsequently, in the following Test held in Mackay, Shoriful Islam claimed seven wickets.

Bishop is impressed by these performances from the Bangladeshi pacers. Watching Hasan Mahmud’s opening spells during the West Indies’ first innings reminded him of the golden era of Caribbean pace bowling.

According to Bishop, consistent improvement in Bangladesh’s pace attack could lead to further success in Test cricket abroad. Winning on foreign soil requires more than just relying on spinners or a single dependable pacer; it demands multiple high-quality fast bowlers.

On this, Bishop remarked, “To win Test matches away from home, you cannot rely solely on spinners and one pacer. In this regard, Bangladesh is moving in the right direction by identifying and developing capable fast bowlers.”

With the pace of Nahid Rana, the effectiveness of Hasan Mahmud, and the recent success of Shoriful Islam, Bishop sees new promise in Bangladesh’s pace bowling department. Now, the major challenge for Bangladesh will be to maintain the fitness of their fast bowlers and ensure consistent, high-quality performances, in order to transform that potential into long-term success.