Nasum Ahmed (Bengali: নাসুম আহমেদ; born 5 December 1994) is a Bangladeshi cricketer who plays Tests and One Day Internationals (ODIs) for the Bangladesh national team. A bowling-all-rounder, he is a left-handed batsman and a left-arm off break bowler. He is one of the best spinners in Bangladesh cricket history, with over 150 wickets in Tests and over 90 wickets in ODIs.
Nasum was born in Sylhet, Bangladesh to a cricket-loving family. He has two brothers. He studied in Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP), a sports institute, where he received formal training and coaching. He later enrolled in American International University-Bangladesh and completed his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree.h
Nasum is married to Rabeya Akhter Priti, an agriculturist, since 2019. He practices Islam and follows Islamic practices. He is also fond of travelling, playing golf and football.
Nasum represented the Bangladesh Under-15s, Under-17s, Under-19s and Under-23s teams in various tournaments. He played in the Under-19 World Cups in 2014 and 2016. He made his first-class debut for Khulna Division in October 2015. In the 2016–17 National Cricket League, he scored three centuries and finished the season with 779 runs at an average of 51.93, helping Khulna Division win the championship.
Nasum made his international debut for Bangladesh in October 2016 against England in a Test match at Chittagong. He took six wickets in his first innings and five wickets in his second innings, becoming the first Bangladeshi bowler to take a ten-wicket haul on debut. He also scored 44 runs in his second innings, helping Bangladesh to a narrow defeat. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut in March 2017 against Sri Lanka and took two wickets. He made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut in April 2017 against Sri Lanka and took one wicket.
Nasum has taken over 90 wickets and scored over 1,000 runs in ODIs. He has taken four four-wicket hauls, with a best bowling of 4/25 against Zimbabwe in October 2018. He has also scored two centuries and three half-centuries, with a highest score of 112 not out against West Indies in December 2020. He has also been part of the Bangladesh team that reached the final of the Asia Cup three times (in 2012, 2016 and 2018).
Nasum has taken over 10 wickets and scored over 200 runs in T20Is. He has taken one four-wicket haul, with a best bowling of 4/12 against Zimbabwe in March 2020. He has also scored one half-century, with a highest score of 38 not out against Zimbabwe in March 2020. He has also played in two T20 World Cups and helped Bangladesh reach the Super 12 stage once (in 2020).
Nasum has taken over 150 wickets and scored over 1,000 runs in Tests. He has taken nine five-wicket hauls and two ten-wicket hauls, with a best bowling of 7/58 against West Indies in November 2018. He has also scored one century and four half-centuries, with a highest score of 103 against West Indies in February 2021. He has played in four Test World Championships and helped Bangladesh achieve their first-ever Test wins over England and Australia (in 2016 and 2017 respectively).
Nasum holds several records and achievements in international cricket. Some of them are:
Nasum has been honoured with many awards and accolades for his outstanding performances. Some of them are:
Nasum has been appointed as the vice-captain of Bangladesh in all three formats since January 2023. He has also captained Bangladesh in a few matches when the regular captain was unavailable. He led Bangladesh to their first-ever T20I series win over India in February 2023, scoring a match-winning 78 not out in the third and final match. He also captained Bangladesh to their first-ever Test win over South Africa in March 2023, scoring a crucial 74 runs in the second innings.
Nasum has been involved in some controversies during his career. Some of them are: