Nasum Ahmed Sets Sights on Seizing New Challenges

Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner, Nasum Ahmed, shared on Wednesday (September 17) that he remains unfazed by not being regularly picked in the playing XI, stressing that he is always mentally prepared to seize any opportunity to perform that arises.

Nasum, who was named man of the match for his 2-11 performance, missed out on Bangladesh’s first two Asia Cup games against Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. However, he was brought in for the Afghanistan match, replacing Sheikh Mahedi.

Though he didn’t play in the opening game against the Netherlands in the three-match series, Nasum returned for the second game, where he showcased his skills again by taking 3-11 and securing the man of the match title. Since the Sri Lanka series, Bangladesh has played 12 T20Is, and Nasum has been part of the playing XI in just four of them.

Despite being included in the squad for the Sri Lanka series, Nasum didn’t get a chance to play. He also sat out the first two games of the T20I series against Pakistan. He did get a chance in the final match, where he bowled four overs for figures of 2/22, marking his return to international T20s after nearly two years.

In Sylhet, during the three-match T20 series against the Netherlands, Nasum was left out of the first match but was reintroduced for the second game. Since 2024, he has participated in only six white-ball matches across all formats.

“I am always ready to play, always striving to give my best. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t,” Nasum remarked to reporters at the team hotel before heading from Abu Dhabi to Dubai on Wednesday. “Returning and winning Man of the Match isn’t new for me, as I was awarded the same in the last game against the Netherlands,” he added.

“Everything depends on the team’s current needs, which may be influenced by our strategy, tactics, or the opposition. This means players sometimes have to sit out. But I don’t let it bother me. We stay mentally prepared so that whenever anyone is given a chance, he aims to perform well,” he stated.

Bangladesh finished their group stage fixtures and now await the outcome of the Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan game on September 18. For Afghanistan, the objective is clear: a win secures their Super 4s spot. In contrast, Bangladesh needs Sri Lanka to either defeat Afghanistan or for Afghanistan to lose by a substantial margin (approximately 70 runs or 50 balls to spare).