'I hope it gets even better,' Taskin says after one-day return

Taskin Ahmed, who has been struggling with injury and workload ahead of the ongoing Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) one-day edition, enjoyed a solid outing on Thursday as his team Central Zone defeated East Zone by five wickets to stay in contention for the final.

Having spent the last three to four months playing T20 cricket, Taskin returned to the 50-over format and bowled his full quota of 10 overs, finishing with figures of 2-46. The 30-year-old pace bowler is optimistic about improving further with more game time in the upcoming BCL fixtures.

“I was sick for a while, which is why I stopped bowling. I needed to gradually increase my bowling workload. That is why I sat out the first match and came back to play in the second match,” Taskin told reporters at Bogura.

“I played one-day cricket after a long time. We won the match, I did okay with my bowling, and I hope it will get even better. Overall, it was a good outing,” he added.

Bangladesh last played One Day Internationals in October last year against the West Indies at home. The national side is set to begin 2026 with a three-match ODI series against Pakistan in March.

Taskin believes the BCL is providing an ideal platform to prepare for the series.

“Just before the Pakistan series, this ongoing BCL has been going really well. The conditions are sporting, and almost all the matches have been competitive. This will definitely help us prepare for the Pakistan series — physically, mentally, and skill-wise. Thanks to the Bangladesh Cricket Board for arranging a tournament like this,” he said.