Visa complications prevented not only cricketers Nasum Ahmed and Nahid Rana but also renowned commentator Athar Ali Khan from joining the Bangladesh squad in the UAE. As a result, the initial commentary panel for the Bangladesh-Afghanistan ODI series lacked any Bangladeshi voices. However, Athar himself confirmed his inclusion in the commentary team for the remaining matches of the series.

On his official Facebook page, Athar Ali Khan posted, “Alhumdulillah checked in & off to Dubai. In Sha ALLAH will cover the next 2 ODI’s since visa arrived on the 6th Nov. Please keep me in your prayers.”

The commentary team now includes Athar alongside prominent voices such as Ramiz Raja, who, despite Pakistan’s ongoing series in Australia, is participating in this ODI series.

The series began on November 6, with Bangladesh suffering a significant defeat in the first ODI, falling short by 92 runs against Afghanistan. Visa issues had prevented Nasum and Nahid from joining the first game, leaving Bangladesh with only five bowlers. Despite this limited bowling lineup, Bangladesh’s bowlers performed commendably, dismissing Afghanistan’s top five within 71 runs. However, Afghanistan recovered, led by Mohammad Nabi and Hashmatullah Shahidi, to post a challenging total of 235. Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed each claimed four wickets, while Shoriful Islam took one.

Bangladesh’s batting woes resurfaced as they struggled against Afghan spin, with AM Ghazanfar securing six wickets in just his sixth ODI. Bangladesh collapsed, losing eight wickets for just 24 runs and being bowled out for 143 in 34.3 overs.

As the second ODI approaches, Bangladesh are bolstered by the return of Nasum Ahmed and Nahid Rana. Athar Ali Khan’s presence in the commentary box is also anticipated to lift the team’s spirits. However, whether these additions will be enough for the Tigers to mount a comeback remains to be seen.