Nasir refreshingly coy about upturn

The name Nasir Hossain used to evoke images of a genuine all-rounder for the Tigers over the years in the past, but that same name nowadays is mostly related to off-field controversies more than any performance on the field.

Even Nasir's recent wedding was not short of controversy, but the 29-year-old confidently announced that he wanted to score 800-1,000 runs in six Bangabandhu National Cricket League ahead of the start of the first-class competition.

Nasir, who played his last international game in 2018, was on the path to doing justice to his words. He started off with his eighth first-class ton in the opening round of Tier 1.  The right-hander was seven runs short of a century and resumed the third day leading a lone fight for Rangpur Division against Dhaka Division. Despite his ton, his side folded for 230 at BKSP yesterday.

That did not deter the all-rounder, who proved instrumental with his off-spin and bagged four wickets to bundle Dhaka out for 128 runs in their second innings.

The Daily Star attempted to get a reaction from Nasir over phone, but the cricketer, probably trying to keep himself away from everything and focus on his game, just said: "Please let me finish my job first."

Rated as one of the most talented cricketers of his generation, people close to Nasir believe only the he can push himself to regain the confidence he once showed on the field.

Many believe a lack of focus towards his game and a tendency to get distracted have been the biggest reasons for his downfall, but perhaps a more mature Nasir has learned from past mistakes. He termed this his comeback tournament as a player and his attitude so far seems in the right place.

There were also questions over his fitness as 29-year-old, once rated among Bangladesh's best fielders, even failed a fitness test ahead of last year's Bangabandhu T20 Cup.

The cricketer has been battling the effects of a torn ligament sustained in 2018 and despite undergoing surgery, Nasir is still not feeling a hundred percent fit.

The other three games between Khulna-Sylhet, Chattogram-Rajshahi and Dhaka Metropolis-Barishal all are expected to produce a result on the fourth and final day today.