Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain said on Saturday that he was impressed with the approach of Nasum Ahmed in his comeback game against Afghanistan.

Nasum scored 25 runs and later took three wickets to help the tourists level the series with a 68-run victory in the second ODI of the three-match series, after losing the opening game by 92 runs.

It was reported in the media that Nasum was physically assaulted by former head coach Chandika Hathurusingha during the 2023 ICC World Cup and subsequently lost his place in the squad due to disciplinary reasons.

The left-arm spinner, along with pacer Nahid Rana, missed the opening game of the series due to visa complications and only arrived in the UAE just before the second match.

However, Nasum seemed neither mentally nor physically exhausted by the events in his life. Instead, he appeared determined to seize his opportunity, both with the ball and with the bat.

“It was difficult for him (Nasum). I don’t want to bring the off-field issue here. A professional cricketer always focuses on the game. He was always part of the dressing room, so he had no problem adjusting to the players,” Najmul said after the match.

“He (Nasum) helped the team with his batting and bowling. He showed a lot of courage. I really liked his approach. I think the way Jaker and Nasum batted in the last few overs made a difference in this game,” Najmul said, adding that he was impressed with the team's effort after a dismal performance in recent matches.

The caption further said, “Everyone showed a lot of character in our bowling and fielding. It was a difficult situation for us in the last few matches—Tests, T20Is, and even the last ODI. Everyone had the belief and stuck to their processes. We talked about it in the first ODI, but I think we were committed to our process, which paid off in this game.”

“We were going through a difficult time. We were waiting for momentum. I think we applied ourselves 100 per cent. We can still improve. We have to get used to the fact that we didn’t have our senior players. They obviously helped us a lot, but we don’t have to think about them all the time. It is up to us to take responsibility,” he added.