‘Entire world talking about Bangladesh's fast bowlers’
Former Australia pacer and ex-Bangladesh fast-bowling coach Shaun Tait was left thoroughly impressed by the Tigers’ pace attack during their recently concluded 1-1 Test series in Australia. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Star’s Abdullah Al Mehdi, Tait breaks down Bangladesh's newfound pace mettle, their push for Test consistency, and more. Excerpts follow:
The Daily Star (DS): You caught up with the action in Darwin and Mackay. How did you see the performances?
Shaun Tait (ST): The first Test match was fantastic. I knew that the team would be competitive, but I didn't know they were going to win… Obviously, they had some challenges in the second Test match, which I thought would happen as well. Bangladesh came away from Australia with a Test victory, and you can't ask for much more than that.
DS: How big an upset was it, especially since the Darwin surface came under the scanner for lacking bounce?
ST: Because it's a green seamer. Australia play most of their cricket down south of Darwin. They're hard wickets and they're usually pretty good for batting. But this wicket up there was really different. I think the toss of the coin was a big one, and Bangladesh responded with a really good bowling attack. On the outside, it definitely is a big upset, but because I was with the Bangladesh team for the last one year, I wasn't completely shocked.
Australia weren't at their best, and Bangladesh were at their best. So that's pretty simple. Second Test match, Australia were a bit closer to their best with the ball.
DS: How well was the plan executed, especially in the absence of Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam in the first Test?
ST: I think with Bangladesh, you could pick any of the seven, eight fast bowlers in that country and they're all going to be competitive. Even though Shoriful wasn't there or Rana wasn't there, Taskin [Ahmed], Ebadot [Hossain] and Hasan [Mahmud] have recently played Test cricket. On the sidelines, Khaled [Ahmed] is there, so there's plenty of options for
Bangladesh.
DS: What were you working on with the group before you left?
ST: We didn't really talk about technique too much… We didn't talk about analytics or workloads either. My biggest thing was just trying to create that connection with the fast bowlers.
DS: Bangladesh are up to sixth now in Test rankings. How are they coming along in the format?
ST: I think the main thing [is] can they be consistent now and whether they can stay there. What they have done is fantastic, but the biggest challenge is how long they can stay there and, for the next three-four years, whether they can compete all the time. Not just a game in a year, but all the time.
DS: Bangladesh have a Test tour of South Africa coming up. Do you see them getting results at the Wanderers and Centurion?
ST: Yeah. That's a big tour, that's a massive tour. Red ball and white ball as well. I look forward to watching that on television, hopefully.
Those wickets have changed over the years a little bit. They're pretty good batting wickets, but I know with the new ball early in the Test match, it can do a little bit with the fast bowlers.
DS. What is your assessment of Hasan and Shoriful across the Australia Tests?
ST: Shoriful didn't surprise me. I think he works really hard on his game. And he's a really good person. I've been friends with him for a long time. On Hasan, just so proud of him… He deserves a good performance against Australia.
DS. Taskin came under scrutiny for a drop in pace, bowling around 125–129 km/h in Mackay. Is that a cause for concern?
ST: Not really. No. I think with Taskin, is like he's getting older. They just got to manage him really well. He's played a lot of cricket, he's got a big body, he's different. Taskin puts a lot of effort into his bowling, so he's just got to concentrate on keeping his body in good condition. That's all Taskin has to do. When I was there, he was so good, especially in white-ball cricket. Coming back into the Test arena, he's just finding his feet again in Test cricket. But I think his leadership is so important as well because he's a good leader for the rest of the fast bowlers.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Give him plenty of rest, let his body recover, let him do some good fitness work. And then play him in important games.
DS: How would you rate this Bangladesh red-ball attack?
ST: Whether T20, white-ball or red-ball, they have a world-class attack. I was really lucky to spend that one year with the national team. I enjoyed my time, and I think they will have some more victories coming in the future.
DS: Do you think the Bangladesh pace attack has gained greater priority in the team’s tactical planning?
ST: Absolutely. It's slowly getting better. Like, they have a lot more priority. Bangladesh are understanding now that it's not just about spin bowling or spin wickets or the batsman. It's like you've got a whole bunch of fast bowlers, and entire world cricket is talking about your fast bowlers.
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