Nasum to return home after Rishad, Nahid’s visa issues resolved

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is set to bring back left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed from the UAE after visa complications involving leg-spinner Rishad Hossain and pacer Nahid Rana were resolved.

Nasum had been flown to Dubai on Friday as a contingency measure after Rishad and Nahid were stranded at Dubai International Airport for three consecutive days due to invalid entry visas.

The duo's visa issues were resolved late on May 16, allowing them to join the national team in the UAE.

"Nasum will be arriving here tomorrow. As there was a visa-related issue, we were a bit confused, and as a back-up plan, we sent Nasum to the UAE yesterday. Now that they have received their visas and joined the team, Nasum will return home," BCB's cricket operations in-charge Shahriar Nafees told The Daily Star on Saturday.

"It was a contingency plan. Along with their not receiving the visas, Mustafizur [Rahman] is also set to leave the team after playing one game. Nasum was more of a back-up option for us," he added.

Nasum had been with the Bangladesh 'A' team in Sylhet before being flown out. The left-arm spinner did not feature in the opening four-day match against New Zealand 'A', which the hosts lost by 70 runs on the final day.