Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 21st July 2026, 5:20 PM
Bangladeshi cricketer Nazmus Sakib has secured a place in the Malaysia national cricket team after years of balancing his passion for the sport with the demands of life as a migrant worker.
Sakib, 26, is originally from Rupsa in Khulna. He left Bangladesh in 2018 in search of a livelihood and moved to Malaysia, where he currently works for a company called Silifocus SDN in Negeri Sembilan. Despite the pressures of work and adapting to life in a foreign country, he refused to abandon the cricketing dream he had nurtured since childhood.
During his spare time, Sakib regularly played tape-tennis cricket. It was through these informal matches that he gradually became acquainted with several Malaysian national cricketers. Those connections eventually helped him take his first significant step into organised cricket in Malaysia.
With support from two well-wishers living in Malaysia, Sakib was given an opportunity to join the Malaysian cricket club SSF Panthers. He soon began attracting attention with his performances as a wicketkeeper-batter and his all-round contribution to the side.
Sakib’s progress was built on consistency rather than a single breakthrough. After producing strong performances in domestic cricket for three consecutive years, he earned a call-up to the Malaysia A team. He continued to impress at that level, producing one of the most eye-catching performances of his early career in a T20 match against Singapore.
Batting with considerable aggression, Sakib scored 122 runs from just 50 deliveries. The innings helped strengthen his case for higher-level selection and brought him closer to the national set-up.
His sustained performances eventually led to international recognition. Sakib was included in Malaysia’s squad for the ACC Men’s Premier Cup T20 tournament in Oman, marking another important stage in his development as a cricketer.
His official international debut for Malaysia came in the 50-over ACC Men’s Challenge Cup, which began on 8 June. He made an immediate impact in his first tournament at international level.
In a rain-affected match against Thailand, Sakib struck a rapid 57 from only 25 balls, helping Malaysia reach the final. The team subsequently defeated Thailand to lift the title, giving Sakib a memorable start to his international career.
For Sakib, the journey from a young cricket enthusiast in Khulna to a player representing another country’s national side has been shaped by persistence and a willingness to continue pursuing his ambition despite the challenges of migrant life.
His achievement has also brought a sense of pride among Bangladeshis living in Malaysia. For many members of the expatriate community, Sakib’s rise offers an encouraging example of how sporting ambitions can survive even when circumstances force people to leave their homeland in search of work.
Sakib now has bigger ambitions. He wants to see Malaysia qualify for a future World Cup and hopes to help the country move into the top 20 of the world rankings.
“My main goal is to see Malaysia play in the World Cup in the future. I want to give my best to help Malaysia move into the top 20 in the world rankings. My main objective is to contribute to Malaysia while making my motherland Bangladesh proud,” Sakib said.
His story is unusual but deeply familiar to many expatriate Bangladeshis: leaving home to earn a living, adapting to a new country and, at the same time, refusing to let go of a long-held dream. For Sakib, the journey has now taken him from informal tape-tennis matches to the international stage, where he has begun a new chapter in his cricketing career.
Comments