Taskin Ahmed

A tall, right-hand fast bowler, Taskin Ahmed grabbed headlines at a very young age - thanks to his pace. He is currently the second fastest Bangladeshi bowler having clocked 148kph (the fastest is Rubel's 149.5kph). He made his first-class debut in the 2011 season playing for Dhaka Metropolis at the age of 16. He was selected for the Under-19 World Cup which was held in Australia in the year 2012. Taskin ended up as the leading wicket-taker in that tournament. Playing in just his second T20 match for Chittagong Kings in the 2013 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League, Taskin was named the Man of the Match for his splendid figures of 4/31.

He had to undergo a knee surgery and was out of action for almost a year. He worked hard and made his international debut in the WT20 game against Australia in 2014. In less than two months, Taskin made his ODI debut against the visiting Indian team and had a memorable game. He finished with figures of 5/28. He was just 3-matches old, but his pace forced the selectors to pick him for the 2015 ICC World Cup that was hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Taskin was Bangladesh's highest wicket taker in the tournament. His wickets of James Taylor and Jos Buttler in the must-win encounter against England helped his team book a berth in the quarterfinal setting up a mouth-watering match against neighbors India. Though Bangladesh failed to put up a fight against India in the quarters, Taskin was once again among the wickets. He picked three wickets and his chest-bump celebration with skipper Mashrafe Mortaza went viral on social media.

The right-arm quickie was an integral part of the ODI team that tasted ODI series victories against Pakistan and India. A rib injury meant that Taskin had to miss out on the home series against South Africa. He was back for the Asia Cup 2016 held in Bangladesh, where Taskin Ahmed was consistently economical that helped his team reach the final which they eventually lost to India.

In 2016, Taskin was a main member of Bangladesh's contingent to India for the ICC World T20. But, disaster struck Bangladesh's camp when he and Arafat Sunny were banned from bowling as their bowling actions were found to be illegal. He was sent back home and Bangladesh couldn't win a single match in the Group 10 stage.

He reassessed his bowling action at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane and all his deliveries were found to be legal. He was immediately selected for the home ODIs against Afghanistan and later against England where he found his rhythm back.

He was drafted into the Test squad and made his debut against New Zealand in January 2017. Kane Williamson was his first Test victim. He generates sufficient pace that can trouble even the best in the business. He has seen ups and downs in his young career. With the age being on his plus side, he could certainly end up as one of Bangladesh's best bowlers.

By Abhinand Raghavendran