Last Updated on May 3, 2019 by Aminul Haque Shahin
Are you a fan of Bangladesh cricket?
Are you keeping up with the top performers of Bangladesh cricket?
It hasn’t been that long Bangladesh started playing international cricket. Within a short period of time, Bangladesh announced its potential in world cricket. The entire cricket world was taken aback when Bangladesh beat a world champion, Pakistan in 1999.
Since then, Bangladesh didn’t have to look back. Bangladesh, from time to time, defeated cricketing superpowers like Australia, India, West Indies and Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh recently beat Australia in a Test series and evened the series at 1-1.
Every great performance requires great performers. The stories, glory, and grit associated with Bangladesh cricket are written by its performers – the performers who constantly made the nation proud.
Yes, Bangladesh has produced many talented cricketers. Although they are yet to rule the world, considering the age of Bangladesh cricket, it’s just a matter of time that they will.
So, who are those performers I’m talking about?
In this article, I listed top 20 Bangladeshi cricketers. They are batsmen, bowlers, wicket-keepers, and all-rounders. Let’s find out who they are:
- Shakib Al-Hasan, the greatest Bangladeshi cricketer of all time – he’s currently the #1 all-rounder cricketer in all three formats of the game. Born on March 24, 1987, Shakib hails from Magura, s small district located in south-western part of Bangladesh. He began his cricketing life in at the national sports academy, BKSP. Since his debut as an international cricket, Shakib proved to be part and parcel of Bangladesh cricket. Shakib’s performance in world cricket levered Bangladesh cricket to a new dimension. Shakib has scored 4983 runs with an average of 34.84 in ODIs. And, he also took 224 wickets in ODIs. Shakib’s greatness is truly unparalleled in all 3 formats of the game.
- Muhammad Ashraful, the man who let his bat speak louder than his height – the moniker “giant slayer”, Bangladesh is given, it is because of Muhammad Ashraful. He became youngest Test centurion after his heroic Test innings against Sri Lanka. He scored the Test century when he was only 16 years old. Most of the historic victories of Bangladesh cricket came about due to Muhammad Ashraful. He was born on July 7, 1984. Due to a fixing scandal, Ashraful is now suspended from international cricket.
- Habibul Bashar, Mr Dependable – best known as ‘Mr Fifty’, Bashar scored 24 ODI 50s. The record remains unbeaten, although Tamim Iqbal is yet to surpass him. He served as a successful captain of Bangladesh cricket. The most memorable victories of Bangladesh cricket came under his leadership. Bangladesh won its first Test match against under Bashar.
- Mashrafe Mortaza, the best captain of Bangladesh cricket – arguably the best captain to ever lead Bangaldesh cricket, Mashrafe was born on October 5, 1983. Both as a person and a player, Mashrafe is the image of resilience, courage and grit. Throughout his career, he is embattled with injuries, yet he returned to lead Bangladesh cricket to greatness. He remains the most successful Bangladesh cricket captain. He has won comparatively more matches than any other captain in the history of Bangladesh cricket.
- Akram Khan, the man who knew how to lead – it was under Akram Khan’s leadership, Bangladesh won any major cricketing tournament. Not only through his leadership did he become an essential player, he also performed well with the bat. He is currently now serving as the Chief Selector of Bangladesh cricket.
- Aminul Islam, the first Test centurion – he led Bangladesh cricket during its first world cup mission. It was in 1999, when Bangladesh first played in the world cup. Under his leadership, Bangladesh managed to beat Pakistan and Scotland.
- Mohammed Rafique, hard-hitter and a key wicked taker – he is one of the leading wicket takers of Bangladesh cricket. He was born in Dhaka. He scored a Test century against West Indies after coming down to the wicket at 7th.
- Abdur Razzak, the spin maestro – with his left arm spin magic, Bangladesh became powerful opponent for any teams. He made ensure that Bangladesh performed consistently and well against higher-ranking teams. He is from Khulna and was born on June 15, 1982. He bagged more than 207 wickets in his short ODI career.
- Mahmudullah Riyad, the silent destroyer – looking at how he behaves in the field, one can’t guess how strong this player is in all 3 formats of the game. He took Bangladesh to the winning shore on many occasions.
- Khaled Masud Pilot, the agile wicketkeeper – the man was renowned for whipping the bales in a flash, yes the wicketkeeper cum batsman, Masud remained one of the successful wicketkeeper-batsmen of Bangladesh cricket. He led the country from 2001 to 2013.
- Tamim Iqbal, the best left-handed batsman – he opens the Bangladesh’s innings, but destroys the opponent till the end. He scored multiple Test centuries consecutively at the Lord’s. He is known for his destructive batting style.
- Mominul Haque, the rising superstar – his appearance in the team is consistent, but whenever he gets the chance to play, he shows what caliber he is made of. His ODI and Test batting averages are quite unbelievable. He is a young player who can be an asset if he plays regularly.
- Mehrab Hossain, the first ODI centurion – he is the first Bangladeshi cricketer to score an ODI century. He scored 101 against Zimbabwe. He was born on September 22, 1978. And, he was a dependable right-hand opener batsman.
- Naimur Rahman, the first Test captain – he led Bangladesh cricket in Test for the first time. He is now an MP. He took six wickets in the first Test match.
- Shahriar Hossain, the 1999’s batsman – he couldn’t stretch his cricketer career past 4 years. But, he led a successful 1999. He scored 95 against Kenya, narrowly missing out to become the first ODI centurion for Bangladesh.
- Javed Omar, Gullu with Guts – he is the only second player in history to carry the bat throughout the innings. On his Test debut in April 2001, he scored record 85.
- Mushfiqur Rahman, the first double centurion – the current Test captain of Bangladesh cricket scored the first double century for the country. He is one of the best consistent players of the country.
- Enamul Haque Jr. the maker of the first Test victory – his six wicket haul in the second innings of the Test match against Zimbabwe sealed Bangladesh’s first Test victory. He is the youngest bowler to take 10 wickets in a Test match.
- Aftab Ahmed, the first five wicket taker for ODI – he used to be known as a hard-hitting ODI batsman. But, little did everyone know that Aftab took five wickets as the first Bangladeshi bowler in an ODI.
- Shahdat Hossain, the speed star – Dav Whatmore regarded him the fastest bowler in the team. He is the first Bangladeshi bowler to take a hat trick in ODIs. He is also an honorable inductee at the Lord’s Honors Board.
Bangladesh Cricket Team just departed Shahjalal Airport today to join in upcoming Ireland Series and then WorldCup Cricket 2019. Best wishes for them.
Summary
The story of Bangladesh becoming a cricketing superpower is written by many talented cricketers. Listed in this article are the top 20 performers who with performances transcended time and age.
Hello, I’m Aminul Haque Shahin, the founder of BangladeshUS. BangladeshUS is a culmination of my love for my homeland, aiming to be the premier blog in the country. I meticulously curate information on diverse topics, from travel stories to essential guides, ensuring our readers receive accurate and valuable insights about Bangladesh for free. Join us on this exciting journey of exploration and discovery. Thank you for being a part of our community.