Taskin Ahmed

Taskin Ahmed is regarded as the leader of Bangladesh's fast bowling attack in the post-Mashrafe Mortaza period. He has had two phases of his international career after injuries and poor form forced him into the wilderness for three years. He was a firebrand in the first phase, often erratic in line and length. When he made his comeback in 2021, Taskin's pace remained consistent, but he had also matured into a disciplined fast bowler.

Taskin has been among Bangladesh's top wicket-takers in the white-ball formats since his comeback and was critical in their historic ODI series win against South Africa in 2022 picking 5 for 35 in the deciding game in Centurion.

Taskin's willingness to improve in his three years out of the Bangladesh side stood out. During the pandemic, he admittedly suffered from a panic attack when playing cricket became uncertain. He called up a gym instructor and a fast bowling coach, roamed around a shutdown Dhaka looking for training facilities, and even ran on sand in the city's outskirts just to keep up with fitness demands.

Taskin eventually returned to the side in all three formats in 2021, slowly building himself under fast-bowling coach Ottis Gibson and then improving with Allan Donald in 2022. Donald found Taskin to be the "leader of the attack" in his attitude and with his performance.

He has had to contend with a shoulder injury in 2023, but Taskin had become so dependable that he was named Najmul Hossain Shanto's deputy for the T20 World Cup in 2024.

Taskin's first phase was exciting too, but it was riddled with injuries. He burst onto the scene after his YouTube video as an Under-19 bowler became popular. He had trained at the famous Abahani field in Dhaka, having grown up in the Mohammadpur area nearby.

Shane Jurgensen, Bangladesh's head coach from 2012 to 2014, gave Taskin a T20I debut during the T20 World Cup in 2014, before his ODI debut came a couple of months later against India. He became the first Bangladesh bowler to take a five-for on ODI debut, and the first to do it against India in 23 years.

Taskin had a great 2016-17 season taking 20 ODI wickets but soon disappeared due to injuries and poor form. He had made a poor start in Tests, too, but has since brought down those numbers significantly in all formats. Although he has to manage through the shoulder injury, he remains a key cog in the Bangladesh bowling unit.