The 41 Year Old Architect from Dhaka Who Became Canadas No 1 Wicketkeeper

They say cricket never really leaves a Bengali heart. For 41-year-old Quazi Mohd Ashique-Uz-Zaman, it didn't just stay in his heart-it traveled across continents and took him straight to the top of the leaderboards in Canada.

Long before he was diving around the pitches of Canada, Ashique was a cricket-crazy kid in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He learned the basics of the game, sharpened his wicketkeeping skills, and played competitive school cricket for two of Dhaka’s most famous institutions: St. Joseph High School and Notre Dame College.

But as it happens to most of us, life came calling. Moving to Canada meant balancing a busy career in architecture, handling long work weeks, and focusing on family. For a while, cricket took a back seat.

But you can’t keep a true cricketer away from the pitch for long.

Overcoming Age and Deadlines

Today, at an age when most players have hung up their boots, Ashique is in the form of his life. He is currently the No. 1-ranked wicketkeeper in Canadian Last Man Stands (LMS) cricket- a title he has proudly held since 2022. He has also broken into the top 500 LMS keepers in the entire world.

His stats prove that he isn't just playing for fun; he is playing to win. Across 58 matches, Ashique has been a force with both the gloves and the bat:

Runs Scored: 1,330 runs

Batting Average: 28.91

Strike Rate: A quick 113.87

Half-Centuries: 7 (with a top score of 53)

While his batting numbers are great, it’s his work behind the stumps that makes him a local legend. Known for his safe hands, non-stop encouragement (and banter) from behind the stumps, and loud appeals that always keep the umpires on their toes, Ashique is the ultimate teammate.

"He treats every single weekend game like it's a World Cup semifinal," his teammates joke. "The only difference is we have slightly older knees, and there is always plenty of hot Bangladeshi tea waiting for us after the game."

A Family Affair

Behind every great amateur athlete is a family that understands the obsession. Despite his heavy workload as an architect, Ashique's biggest fan is his wife, Anita. Whether it is a late-evening game or a weekend-long tournament, she is always on the sidelines cheering him on.

And it looks like the next generation is already warming up. Their two-and-a-half-year-old son, Aariz, has already started swinging a tiny cricket bat around the house. It safe to say the love for the game runs deep in the family blood.

In a sport that is usually obsessed with young players, Ashique’s story is a beautiful reminder that passion doesn't have an expiration date. Sometimes, it just migrates to a new country, puts the gloves back on, and keeps on winning.