Three days stuck at the airport: Rishad and Nahid finally join team in UAE
The pair had flown out with the first group of players on 14 May, ahead of the two-match T20I series. While the rest of the squad cleared immigration without trouble, Rishad and Nahid were stopped by airport authorities and taken aside for what was described as document verification.
Just 18 hours before Bangladesh's first T20I against the United Arab Emirates, young cricketers Rishad Hossain and Nahid Rana were finally able to link up with the national team—ending an unusual three-day ordeal of being held at Dubai International Airport.
The pair had flown out with the first group of players on 14 May, ahead of the two-match T20I series. While the rest of the squad cleared immigration without trouble, Rishad and Nahid were stopped by airport authorities and taken aside for what was described as document verification. That process stretched into three days, during which the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) lost contact with them for a period.
"They travelled with the team on the 14th, but unlike the others, they weren't allowed through immigration," BCB media committee chairman Iftekhar Ahmed Mithu told reporters on 17 May. "Their documents were taken for review, and at one stage, we couldn't even reach them. They had been issued proper visas from Bangladesh, so we're still not sure why they were held."
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The BCB scrambled to resolve the issue from Dhaka, contacting both the Emirates Cricket Board and the Bangladesh High Commission in Dubai. Eventually, around 2:30am local time on Friday, 17 May, the two players were released and permitted to leave the airport.
The reason for their prolonged detention remains unclear. While immigration authorities have provided no official explanation, there is speculation that their previous travel to Dubai might have been a factor. Earlier in the month, Rishad and Nahid had travelled from Pakistan to the UAE via a special Pakistan Cricket Board-arranged flight after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was suspended due to security concerns following escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. The two players returned to Bangladesh the next day. It's believed there may have been incomplete documentation during that brief stay in Dubai.
"We suspect something from that earlier Dubai transit, possibly involving visa or entry paperwork, triggered this situation," Iftekhar said. "But again, we can't say for certain—immigration bodies usually don't disclose such information."
The delay meant Rishad and Nahid missed two days of training in the UAE, including full team sessions on Thursday and Friday. Their availability for the series opener in Sharjah on 18 May will be a late decision for the team management, depending on their physical and mental readiness.
Bangladesh are scheduled to play two T20Is against the UAE, with the second match to be held at the same venue on 20 May.
