Rana celebrating a ‘different Eid’

"Brother, I'm out with friends right now, I'll call you back in a bit."

Nahid Rana, Bangladesh cricket's newest fast bowling sensation, said this politely in response right before disconnecting the call. It took him more than a little while to return the call and he also explained the reason behind this delay.

"I'm at my home in Chapainawabganj. I was catching up with my friends after a long time."

In the next few minutes, Rana, who made his Bangladesh debut in a Test match against Sri Lanka last month in Sylhet, explained how this time his homecoming for Eid was different.

Just four years ago, Rana was nowhere near competitive cricket. The 21-year-old, who picked up a cricket ball for the first time after crossing 18, has made it to the national team in express speed.

In his debut Test, Rana picked up five wickets in two innings. But more than the wickets, his raw pace is what caught the attention of the country's cricket fraternity and his exploits with the national team have also earned him the admiration of his neighbours, relatives and friends.

"This year's Eid is a little different, all my friends are excited. Everyone is asking about my experience of playing for the national team. I'm taking it normally. Everyone's happy, they are all praising me," Rana told The Daily Star recently.

Like most youth, Rana's Eid celebration centres around his friends. This time too, will be no different, said the pacer.

"I'll begin the day with Eid prayers. Then after taking my breakfast, I'll go out with my friends. We will go visit some place and chat and basically pass the day doing that. I will try to spend some time with my close ones."

Although Rana impressed with his raw pace in the Test and also picked up wickets against the run of play, he was guilty of losing his line at times and leaking runs.

But his teammates told him not to worry about what went wrong and just enjoy the moment, said Rana.

"Whatever happened, alhamdulillah, I am happy with it. The seniors in the team told me, 'You just enjoy yourself out there, don't worry about anything else'."

Rana said that everyone in the national team supported him but singled out Shoriful Islam in particular, saying he shares a close bond with the left-arm pacer.

"I have a good relationship with everyone. But my rapport with Shoriful bhai is the best. He is from Panchagarh, I'm from Chapainawabganj. So, we have a very good relationship. I have fun with Shoriful bhai. The senior players are also very helpful. Whenever I asked for advice, they obliged."