‘Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg’: Ian Bishop sounds alarm over Nahid Rana’s injury

Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop has urged Bangladesh to protect Nahid Rana, warning against rushing a young pace talent whose injury problems have kept him out for months. Bishop also praised Hasan Mahmud and the wider Bangladesh attack.

The current commentator spoke to reporters on Thursday, after an early tea forced by bad light and rain on the second day of the Test between West Indies and Bangladesh in Mirpur, where Bangladesh were bowled out for 272 and West Indies reach 89/1 at the end of the second session.

“I know they’ve got a very good coach in Phil Simmons. Fast bowling is a very rigorous job, and some bodies are predisposed to injury more than others. I know that from having stress fractures myself. Be careful with him. Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg because you want immediate success,” Bishop said.

Rana has been out since suffering a grade two side strain in Zimbabwe in July, missing the Australia series, the Asian Games, the one off Test against Afghanistan and October’s tri nation series in the UAE, where Bangladesh lost to Zimbabwe and Afghanistan.

Bishop had publicly posted on X expressing his regret at Rana’s absence from the Australia series, where Bangladesh went on to win the Darwin Test through Hasan Mahmud’s heroics rather than the express pace Rana would have brought to those bouncier surfaces.

Asked about that post and what Rana’s absence meant to him personally, Bishop was clear that his feelings went beyond disappointment.

“Sad is not the appropriate word. It’s unfortunate for Nahid because I believe that Nahid is one of the potential superstars of the world game. When you look around the world and you see young fast bowlers coming through, Nahid is probably as fast, if not faster than most. And he’s in his early 20s. I was salivating at the prospect of seeing him in Australia on bouncier pitches."

"So I was disappointed when that happened. But his health is the most important thing. And once that is regained, once you don’t rush him back into international cricket because fast bowling is strenuous on the body, I think he has the potential of leading Bangladesh into another chapter and another frontier because you can’t buy pace. Every team in the world is looking for a Nahid Rana. So keep him fit,” he said.

Rana was expected to bowl off a short run up in early September, but back pain emerged and scans at Evercare Hospital led to advice to stop bowling.

The pacer had been due to take a fitness test in the second week of October after completing his rehabilitation, but discomfort in his hip and lower body prompted the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to send him to Perth for specialist treatment, refusing to gamble on his recovery from persistent pain.

“Nahid has what we call in the West the higher ceiling. When you have a guy who can bowl at 150 clicks per hour, every team in the world will cut off their right hand to have one or two of those.”

Bishop also pointed to what he witnessed from the Bangladesh pace attack during the day’s play as evidence of how far the country had come in developing genuine fast bowling options.

“We did a recording today of a slip cordon when Hasan Mahmud was bowling, three slips and a gully. It’s something that you would have associated if Australia was bowling or if the old-time West Indies were bowling. Now we’re seeing it from Bangladesh,” he said.

He was equally enthused about the depth now available to the selectors, arguing that Bangladesh could no longer be considered a side that relied solely on spin to take wickets.

“Now you have five or six that you can choose from. And if you have to win Test matches in the West, you can’t just rely on spinners and one quick bowler. So Bangladesh have headed in the right direction in unearthing a group of fast bowlers, with a little bit of help from a few friends like Otis Gibson, the former West Indies coach, and Shaun Tait,” he said.

The West Indian also k gave credit where it was due across the full group rather than pinning the origins of Bangladesh’s pace revolution on any single player.

“Don’t say it started with Nahid because Taskin, I’ve known Taskin for over 10 years now. Then you have Ebadot, you have Shoriful now who’s still making his way. Credit to the Bangladesh Cricket Board for trying to shape an attack that is more oriented toward winning across conditions. You’ve still got South Africa coming,” Bishop said.

Hasan Mahmud took 26 wickets in four matches for Kent in the 2026 County Championship at an average of 15.77, and Alan Wilkins has likened his seam position to that of a mini McGrath, a comparison put to Bishop by reporters.

“He’s one of the best line bowlers. They hired Hasan because Hasan was already a good bowler. It wasn’t that Kent made him in County cricket. Wonderful wobble seam, and he’s a wonderful part of Bangladesh bowling attack.”

“I can’t wait for the day to come again when Taskin, Hasan, Nahid Rana are able to take the field together again.”