Bangladesh is one of those nations in cricket that sometimes goes unnoticed. The passion in each player is immense, as is the talent. But somehow many of the players have underachieved as compared to their capabilities. Be it any form of the game, Bangladesh has always come up as the second-best. Their players have a lot of ability, including both batters and bowlers, who are regarded as the match winners. Here we look at the top 10 bowlers with the most wickets for Bangladesh in the longest format of the game.
1. Sohag Gazi
Sohag Gazi was an off-break bowler from Bangladesh. He made his test debut vs. the West Indies in 2012 and was hit for a six on the very first ball he bowled to Chris Gayle. At that time, an off-break bowler in Bangladesh was rare. In a test match against New Zealand in 2013, he scored a hundred and even took a hat-trick, becoming the first player to achieve the feat in the same match. He has played ten test matches, in which he has taken 38 wickets. He has taken a five-wicket haul twice in his career, with his best bowling figures of 6/73 in an innings.
2. Ebadot Hossain
Ebadot Hossain is a right-arm medium fast bowler who can touch up to a 140 kmph delivery. The bowler is famous for his celebration, in which he salutes after dismissing the batsman. He made his Test debut against New Zealand in 2019. Since then, he has picked up 42 test wickets in 20 matches. His best bowling figures in an innings are 6/46, and he has also taken a five-wicket haul.
3. Mahmudullah
Mahmudullah is an off-break bowler and a handy batter for Bangladesh in the white-ball format. He made his Test debut against the West Indies in 2009. Mahmudullah, a veteran all-rounder for his nation, has a perfect balance as a player and contributes in all three departments of the game. In 50 test matches, he has taken 43 wickets, which is decent for a batting all-rounder. He has the best bowling figures in an innings of 5/51 and has taken a five-wicket haul once in his career. He announced his shocking retirement from Test cricket in November 2021.
4. Enamul Haque Jnr
Enamul Haque is a left-arm orthodox spinner from Sylhet, Bangladesh. He made his Test debut against England in 2003. His best moment came against Zimbabwe in a series in which he scalped 18 wickets. Before retiring, he played 15 test matches and took 44 wickets. His best bowling figures in an innings were 7/95, and the bowler has taken a five-wicket haul three times in his career. There were controversies regarding his age, but they never pulled him down as he continued to impress.
5. Shahdat Hossain
Shahdat Hossain is a tall and muscular fast bowler. With the perfect body required for a fast bowler, he first played his test match against England in 2005 at the Lord’s. In a match against South Africa in 2008, he left the batsmen clueless with an astonishing spell of 6/27. In his test career, the bowler has played 38 matches, taking 72 wickets with a best bowling figure of 6/27. He also passed the five-wicket haul mark four times in his career.
6. Mashrafe Mortaza
Mashrafe Mortaza was a former right-arm medium-fast bowler for Bangladesh. He was popularly known as the "Narail Express. He first played a test match against Zimbabwe in 2001 and was almost unplayable with the bounce he would generate. He played 36 test matches and took 78 wickets, with his best bowling figures of 4/60. He was also a handy batter down the order and was famous for his ability to hit the ball long.
7. Mohammad Rafique
A left-arm spinner who started as a seamer was born in the capital city of Dhaka. Rafique was among those who carried the responsibility of Bangladesh's bowling attack. During only his third test match against South Africa at home, the bowler was in the limelight for taking six wickets for 77 runs. After his debut in 2000, the spinner was a regular inclusion in the squad. In the 33 matches he played; he took 100 test wickets. His great performances also include seven fifers and a best bowling spell of 9/160 in a single match.
8. Mehidy Hassan Miraz
Mehidy Hassan is an off-break bowler and a handy batter down the order for Bangladesh. His test numbers are staggering, with 151 wickets in just 39 matches. Since his debut for the Test side in 2016, Mehidy has been an important part of the squad. He was picked for the national team after leading his team to a bronze medal in the 2016 U-19 World Cup, in which he was named the player of the tournament. The off-break bowler has taken nine five-wicket hauls in his career so far, with a best bowling spell of 7/58 in an innings.
9. Taijul Islam
The left-arm orthodox bowler, born in Natore, Bangladesh, is a big name in his nation. After his debut in 2014, he has spun the web many times in his favour. In just 42 test matches, the bowler has taken 177 wickets and an eight-wicket haul as well. Along with his best bowling spell of 8/39 against Zimbabwe, the bowler also has eleven five-wicket hauls. Even after his heroics, the bowler is not given fair chances in the team because of the first-choice left-arm spinner and all-rounder, Shakib Al Hassan.
10. Shakib Al Hassan
Shakib Al Hassan is without a doubt the most well-known name in Bangladesh cricket. The left-arm orthodox spinner and all-rounder is one of the best in world cricket. He is someone who likes to lead by example for his team and has given some promising performances. In his test career, the spinner has played 66 matches since making his debut in 2007 vs. India. In those 66 matches, he accounts for a massive 233 wickets and has reached the five-wicket haul mark nineteen times in his career with best bowling figures of 7/36 in an innings.
