Bangladesh spinner set to break 10-year BBL drought

Ten years, eight months and twenty-eight days.

January 19, 2015 was the last time a Bangladeshi played in the BBL.

His name? Shakib Al Hasan.

Arguably Bangladesh's greatest ever cricketer has been the one and only player to fly the green and red flag in the BBL - until now.

Discovered in the city of Rangpur in northwestern Bangladesh, 23-year-old Rishad Hossain has established himself as one of T20 cricket's foremost leg-spinners.

Picked up by the Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL|14 Draft, Hossain withdrew from the tournament last summer due to commitments in the Bangladesh Premier League.

A year on, he’s been picked up once again. This time he joins the tournament's defending champions and is poised to join his idol as the only Bangladeshi representatives in the BBL.

"I’m very excited to play (BBL) this year," said Hossain.

"The Big Bash is a very big league in the world, and that’s why I feel it’s important for me to play it.

"As a Bangladeshi, I’ll always try to represent my country well, so I’ll try my best and give my 100 per cent in Hobart."

Having recently played a milestone 50th T20 International, Hossain debuted for Bangladesh against Ireland in 2023.

Since then, the young gun has taken 61 wickets at a strike rate of 16.1, highlighted by a breakout performance during last year’s T20 World Cup.

Hossain set a record for the most wickets by a Bangladeshi at a T20 World Cup (14), finishing as the equal-third highest wicket-taker for the competition.

Claiming the prized scalps of Travis Head and Rishabh Pant in the process, Hossain captured the attention of many during his superb campaign, including former Australian captain Aaron Finch.

"He’s a very, very good leg-spinner who gives it a rip," Finch told the Surge Big Bash Podcast.

"Very different to most modern leg-spinners in T20 cricket, he tosses it up. If he’s under pressure, he goes slower."

Comparing Hossain’s style to New Zealand veteran Ish Sodhi, Finch noted the bravery in Hossain’s bowling that makes him such a dangerous prospect for opposition batters.

"You think Rashid Khan, fast through the air, accurate (and) at the stumps all the time," said Finch.

"These guys are different. Rishad Hossain will toss it up, he’ll make you try and make all the pace.

"Very, very good googly (and) Ricky Ponting speaks very highly of him as well."

It was Ponting, in his role as Head of Strategy at the Hobart Hurricanes, who recommended Hossain as a draft prospect to the team from Tasmania.

After Hobart selected Hossain in the BBL|14 Draft held in September last year, Ponting explained what the Hurricanes see in the leg-spinner.

"He’s (Hossain) someone that’s an out-and-out wicket-taking bowler,” said Ponting.

"Talking to Nathan Ellis (Hobart Hurricanes captain) through the course of last year, he was desperate for a spin-bowler to take wickets through the middle of the innings.

"That’s what leg-spinners do. If you look at Rishad’s record, it’s amazing."

With Hossain set to make his long-awaited Big Bash debut in BBL|15, Hurricanes skipper Nathan Ellis is optimistic he’ll help Hobart become the first back-to-back BBL champions since the Perth Scorchers in BBL|11 and BBL|12.

"Since we got him, I feel like I’ve watched every ball he’s bowled, and he’s really impressive," said Ellis to the Unplayable Podcast in August.

"I think he’s going to match up with Bellerive really, really well. I think the wicket is going to suit him."

In addition to his impressive T20 record, Hossain also featured in his first ICC 50-over event earlier this year, when he represented Bangladesh at the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy held in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Taking on India in Dubai, Hossain took what he describes as his favourite wicket to date: Virat Kohli.

"After this Virat Kohli wicket, I got lots of comments and it was a very new experience. I was shocked after this wicket," he said.

Having now experienced ICC events in both the T20 and one-day formats, Hossain’s motivation to create history with Bangladesh is now firmly in focus.

"My goal for my country, Bangladesh, is giving (them) a World Cup,” said Hossain.

"A T20 World Cup or an ODI World Cup. This is very important for me."

The Big Bash League will be the third T20 domestic competition Hossain has featured in, having played 16 BPL matches across three seasons, and seven matches with the Lahore Qalanders in this year’s Pakistan Super League.

He named Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith and Adam Zampa as players he can’t wait to test himself against this summer.

He is also excited to see a big contingent of Bangladeshi fans at his Big Bash matches with the country having not played an international on these shores since the T20 World Cup in 2022.

"This is heart-touching," said Hossain. "Outside of Bangladesh, there’s lots of people who are very big fans of Bangladesh.

"Obviously I’m very excited to play this year, so (hopefully) 2025 is another championship for the Hurricanes."

Hossain’s Hobart Hurricanes will open their campaign on December 16 in a rematch of last season’s BBL|14 Final against the Sydney Thunder at Ninja Stadium.