Bangladesh all-rounder Nasir Hossain is back on the cricket pitch after serving a year-long ban for breaking the ICC's anti-corruption rule.  The 33-year-old has now met all the requirements of his ban, according to a press release from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). He can start playing professional cricket again on April 7, 2025.

Nasir has signed with Rupganj Tigers Cricket Club and will play in today's game against Gazi Group Cricketers. This is his return to the Dhaka Premier League (DPL).  The fact that he was named to the starting XI is the first time he has been on the pitch since his ban began in September 2023.

Nasir was banned because of something that happened during the Abu Dhabi T10 League in 2022. He was given an iPhone as a gift, which was worth more than the ICC's limit of USD 700.  The ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit needs to know about these gifts, but Nasir didn't do that.

In the end, the ICC charged him with three counts of breaking its code against graft.  At first, he didn't answer the charges, but later he accepted guilt during the trial.  Because of this, he was banned for two years, with six months suspended if he could finish a course on fighting crime, which he has now done.

Nasir was originally linked with Abahani Limited for this DPL season, and their coach Hannan Sarkar made hints that he might be added.  Nasir chose Rupganj Tigers instead, though, because they had different business plans.

Speaking about his decision, Nasir shared a pragmatic view: “I just want to play matches. That’s why I joined a smaller team. If I can play three consecutive matches and perform well, I believe I can open doors to return to the national team.”

Currently, Rupganj Tigers are in the relegation zone, having earned only 3 points from 8 matches.