[Nazim Shirazi]

I did read Imran Sarwar's report and understand his frustration in reference to our players being unable to handle short pitch deliveries. What I do not understand is how can a coach let the players choose what kind of bowling they face in the nets? Isn’t the couch responsible to train the players to rectify their flaws?

Here is my personal experience as I was never coached properly and how I managed/couched myself to handle hostile bowling.

Hopton Barrett, a genuine fast bowler who did not get to play for the West Indies due to the fact he had to compete with the likes of Holding, Marshall, Patterson, Clark, Garner and Croft. Roberts was on his way out. Barrett left his country in frustration and stayed back in Los Angeles when he had come to play with the Jamaican team to Los Angeles. Barrett was regarded by Sobers as the most talented fast bowler in W.I., when he had come to LA. Most of the players were scared to play against him and his partner Reggie Benjamin, who was not far behind him.

How did I handle them when we never had a world-class fast bowler in BD, playing weekend cricket.

Here is how.

Courage is required, but you need a solid technique, quick footwork, good reflexes, great eyesight and a lot of practice against short pitched bowling in the nets to be able to handle world class fast bowlers and implement the hours of practice into the matches.

I would always let these West Indian fast bowlers have a go at me in the nets with new balls, practicing on cement/concrete pitches. They would even intentionally bowl no balls in order to intimidate me and perhaps hurt me to prove a point to others out of frustration, as I would always stand up to them in the practice and more importantly in the matches. That never happened (the intimidation). In fact, I became sharp and got used to playing hostile bowling thanks to these guys.

Yes, I do have a lot of pride as a former BD National player and play with dignity even today. These reasons fueled my desire to risk being hurt in the nets so I could intimidate the fast bowlers whenever I had a chance in the matches.

Mental toughness comes with confidence and confidence comes from your inner belief that you are ready and able to handle any situation. You really have to believe in yourself without a doubt. At any rate, some of our players lack confidence, not only due to the fact they lack what is required to play at that level but also because they fear being dropped if they don’t perform. Dropping players every now and then is not a solution. It will only shatter any confidence they may have and also destroy the team spirit.

I played many matches against these fast bowlers and won all the finals so far in the last 12 years against them, that is true. I am sure Tipu Sultan will remember the Williamson Final when we were 68 for 8 in 32 overs and went on to win chasing 148. In the final 8 overs, we needed 81 to win and I managed to attack them by hitting 7 straight sixes over the bowler’s head, proper shorts, as I am not a slogger. I did not let the tail ender face a single delivery (not a single delivery) against the fast bowlers as per his own request. All this without a helmet, not a good idea to play fast bowlers without a helmet. After that match I started to wear a helmet every time I went in to bat.

According to Imran Sarwar, our players avoid playing against short bowling in the nets. That may be one reason why they struggle against fast bowler, besides having dead wickets and not having enough experience. How will they cope in the match situation when they have to face short balls, tell the bowler not to bowl short? Bowling machine is badly required at all levels of the game.

Dear Fahmida, you are an intelligent person and your observation about our cricket is quite accurate. Your articles are encouraging and informative. They should also be on Daily Star as more people can read about the facts of our cricket.

I do agree that the present generation of players are far more superior to the past generation on the whole. However, I am not sure if you have seen the likes of Jahangir Shah Badshah, late Daulat bhai, Raquibul Hasan, Rafiqual Alam, Yousuf Rahman Babu to name a few, in their prime.

They may not have great numbers (averages) as in those days we hardly played any International matches. At best we would have one or two foreign sides visit BD every year. Had these guys been in their prime today with the money and exposure involved in cricket, they would have definitely done well in the present day cricket and not get butchered, embarrass the country and become a laughing stock.

Then, there were only a few high quality players, but they were fighters, mentally tough, played with a lot of pride and dignity, which is lacking in our present day players. Most of the players were ordinary in the 70’s and 80’s. I do agree that the average player today is definitely better. Some of the young players are capable and quality players. They have to be groomed and supported by the officials, coaches and the people of BD, as they are our future.

There is no short cut to success. It will take a few years before we start to win matches against good teams. It will happen. The question is when? I don’t think anybody can predict that. Give it time and it will happen. We have to have patience. Meanwhile, keep up the good work and support your team. Time to time I visit the Tiger’s board and read your comments. I actually enjoy them. Some interesting thoughts and subjects.

It is not practical for someone like me to even think about playing for BD. The future lies with the younger players. Even today I may be fit and able to hold my own at any level that has nothing to do with the improvement of BD cricket. In order to improve the standard of BD cricket, we need to look forward, towards the future and not look back in the past. We must move on and be aggressive in our goal of being a successful test-playing nation.

If I was living in BD, I would have definitely been deeply involved in doing whatever necessary to help our cricket. I do have a lot of passion and actually care about cricket with all my heart. To be honest, since I am living is Los Angeles; there is not much I can do. My best wishes are always for our team. Always remember, in order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.

Sincerely,
Nazim Shirazi.