Rajshahi Kings young fast bowler Qazi Anik Islam surprised all with his scintillating bowling performance as he claimed four-wicket haul on his BPL debut against Chittagong Vikings at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday. His four wickets including two in third over that gave Rajshahi Kings a 33-run victory, which lit up their knockout hopes. Anik, who joined the Kings tent at the fag end of the third week of the November just hailing from Malaysia after playing the 2017 ACC U-19 Asia Cup.

Bangladesh youth though played better brand of cricket derailed from the semi-final stage when they were beaten by Pakistan. “When I join the tent of Rajshahi Kings, I wanted to do such thing that could be stunned all. I feel well to get four wickets in my maiden BPL appearance,” said Qazi Anik, whose next international assignment is ICC U-19 World Cup in 2018.

“But it would be better if I could pick up five wickets in debut match. I am not unhappy to chalk up four wickets. Five-wicket in maiden appearance is a milestone that every bowler seeks to get it to be part of history,” Anik told reporters.

“Getting wicket is a different thing. My planning was to give less number of runs as much as possible. Taking wickets depend on luck fully. I feel better as I have succeeded in my planning,” he added.

Praising Kings captain Darren Sammy’s versatility, the 18-year-old paceman said that he will attempt his best to continue his performance if their captain gives me opportunity to play the next match.  

Rajshahi Kings will play their next match against Dhaka Dynamites at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on December 2.  

“Darren Sammy picked me from the net. Sammy top class player and West Indies World Cup winning captain. He know how to pick or recognise a potential bowler. He didn’t tell anything in the match,” the left-arm medium bowler said.

“But after the match, he told me that I bowled really well. If I get chance to play the next match, I will try to keep its continuation,” he added.

When asked him about Darren Sammy’s gift, the left-handed young pace bowler said, “Sammy gifted me the ball. But I am yet to get in my hand. Maybe he could give me his autograph on the ball.”

The budding paceman said that he was nervous and that could be normal as a debutant. BPL Rajshahi franchisee team fielded two debutants-Usama Mir and Qazi Anik Islam against Chittagong Vikings to notch the victory.

Even though he felt nervousness in the beginning, he finally could fix up his full concentration in the match as Anik said.