Dubai, Feb 19: Heading into their Champions Trophy opener against formidable neighbours India, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was filled with optimism.
He was particularly emboldened by the rise of pace sensation Nahid Rana, who has added a new dimension to their bowling attack.
The 22-year-old Rana holds the record for the fastest ball (152kph) bowled by a Bangladesh cricketer, hits 150kph on occasion, and averages 145kph for most of his spells.
Besides the presence of Rana and experienced pace colleague like Taskin Ahmed, the team also has few useful all-rounders and spinners, and some good batters.
“Obviously, all-rounders always balance the team and we have got some good all-rounders. I hope they will perform tomorrow,” Shanto said in the pre-match press conference here on Wednesday.“If you look in this format, our team is quite balanced and we believe we can beat any team in this tournament. All teams are capable of winning this trophy but I am someone who is not thinking about the opponents much. If we execute our plan properly we can beat any team in any day,” Shanto said.After years of struggle, Bangladesh are now in a position to boast a good pace-bowling attack, feels Shanto.“Yes, obviously. I think we always struggle with our seam attack, but last couple of years we have got some quality fast bowlers. Now we have got Nahid Rana, Taskin the way they are bowling. I think it helps a lot.
“As a captain, we love to see them bowling fast. So, I’m really happy that we have got a good fast bowling unit and under lights the ball might swing. So, if they bowl in the good areas, it will help our team.” Rana has done well in his nascent career, having taken 20 wickets in six Tests and four scalps in three ODIs.Shanto refused to read much into the absence of India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and Bangladesh’s star all-rounder Shakib al Hasan.The conditions in the UAE are familiar to both the teams but for Bangladesh to have any chance against India, Shanto knows that they will have to have one of the best days in all departments. (PTI)
