Great Ayton has pulled off a coup with the signing of Bangladeshi international all-rounder Sabbir Rahman for their 2023 NYSD campaign.
Rahman is an explosive international batting all-rounder (leg-spin) who has featured for Bangladesh in 125 matches over the past decade.
The talented Bangladeshi initially shot into the limelight with an 18-ball unbeaten 33 in the gold-medal match of the 2010 Asian Games against Afghanistan. Bangladesh needed 44 from the last five overs of the T20 game, and Sabbir coolly struck three sixes to ensure the country’s first gold in the Asian Games itself.
He had earlier turned heads with his big-spinning leg breaks in the Dhaka club scene as well as for the Bangladesh U19 side in the 2010 U19 World Cup, but he chose the Guangzhou International Cricket Stadium to launch himself.
He continued to flourish in T20 cricket for the next two seasons but his lack of runs in first-class and one-day cricket initially held him back. Finally, he was chosen to play for Bangladesh in 2014.
Over the next few years, he became a mainstay of the Tigers’ international side, playing across all formats. He would go on to average 24.05 in his 11 Tests, with his final match coming in February 2017. Sabbir was a key component in Bangladeshi’s white-ball sides but, despite 1,333 runs at 25.63, with a century and 6 fifties, he would play the last of his 66 ODI matches in July 2019. Nevertheless, he has continued to shine in T20 cricket and is a consistent member of the Tigers side, having played 48 matches with an average in the low 20s.
Known as an explosive batter, one of Bangladeshi’s best fielders, and a big-spinner leg-break bowler, Sabbir is looking to feature in global Franchise tournaments over the next few years.
For now, though, the Bangladeshi all-rounder will play UK club cricket this summer having signed with Great Ayton for their 2023 North Yorkshire and South Durham Premier League campaign.
