Bangladesh pacer Hasan Mahmud etched his name into the country’s cricketing history books by becoming the first fast bowler from Bangladesh to claim a Test hat-trick, delivering a phenomenal spell against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. Running riot with the ball, Mahmud bagged a triple-wicket maiden as he tore through the lower order in consecutive deliveries. He started the hat-trick by knocking over Ismat Alam with a sharp delivery, followed up immediately by inducing an outside edge off Qais Ahmad, which was brilliantly taken low to his right by wicketkeeper Litton Das.
Mahmud then completed the landmark feat by trapping Zia-ur-Rehman lbw via a successful DRS review, making him only the third Bangladeshi bowler overall and the very first pacer to complete a Test hat-trick.
Mahmud’s historic achievement highlights the effort Bangladesh have put over the years in improving their bowling unit. Traditionally reliant on spinners to give them breakthroughs on slow and sluggish pitches, the national side has gradually built a potent seam-bowling contingent capable of making decisive inroads in all conditions, whether at home or away.
Mahmud, who made his Test debut in early 2024, quickly stood out for his disciplined seam movement, late swing, and sharp execution under pressure. By adding a Test hat-trick, he has registered his name alongside the greats of the game. Earlier, he had also taken a five-wicket haul against Pakistan
Across the long history of Test match cricket, taking a hat-trick remains one of the rarest feats for any bowler. While spinner Alok Kapali has already taken a hat-trick for Bangladesh, Hasan Mahmud is the first pacer to achieve this feat. Off-spinner Sohag Gazi (vs New Zealand in 2013) has also taken a hat-trick for Bangladesh in the longest format.
In the process, he has joined the likes of Wasim Akram (who claimed two Test hat-tricks), Courtney Walsh, Glenn McGrath, Stuart Broad, and Jasprit Bumrah among pacers to have taken wickets on three consecutive deliveries.
For Hasan Mahmud to join such company as a seam bowler-and to become the first fast bowler from his country to do so-marks a landmark chapter not only for his personal career but also for Bangladeshi cricket on the international stage.
