‘The fast bowlers need to play more’

The Bangladesh team's newly built pace lineup with Abu Jayed, Khaled Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain made their first appearance together during the first Test at Hamilton against New Zealand. The pace trio did not have the best of times as New Zealand amassed a massive 715 on the board -- their highest Test score – in the first innings. Coach Courtney Walsh said that the pacers lacked in experience and it will be important to give them more matches in foreign conditions.

For Walsh, who is having to handle different bowling lineups every game, it is important that the fast bowlers get more games now, especially away from home.

"You have to give a guy a chance to play back to back games. If you going to play one Test match here and one Test match there, you are never going to learn the trade or improve your own game. One Test match or two Test matches aren't good enough. Obviously in Bangladesh it's spin-friendly conditions. As you rightly mention, last tour, we had new bowling attack, this one it's a different one. There is not continuity and consistency," he said.

Talent was not lacking but the pitches were not as seaming friendly as was expected and the Kiwis banked on their own pace attack to give them the edge in the game.

"Yes, I got to be honest. There are talented fast bowlers in Bangladesh but the experience is lacking. There are patches in the game where we could have bowled better. As I said, the inexperience came in but they have got abilities and talent and as it showed in the first session with the new ball, anything could have happened with the way we bowled," he said.

"If you look back at the game with context, when New Zealand went back to bowl and we were batting well, they just played the patient game. They tried some stuff with us and it didn't work, we survived that and they just went back to the patient game. With the second new ball with their experience, they were able to make the breakthrough and they were able to make further inroads after that, he added.

Walsh recommended that the Tigers should focus on a few bowlers they can play for a longer period of time and give them more exposure to learn the trade of bowling in overseas conditions.

"We have got to just look at three four guys to look at that we think who can make it, especially in overseas, and invest in them," he opined.