Sports Desk : dhakamirror.com
As the conditions in India are known to be quite challenging for pacers, Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed wants to take on that challenge and flourish with the ball in the forthcoming ICC World Cup scheduled to be held there in October-November this year.
Earlier, the Indian Express reported that the majority of Bangladesh’s 2023 World Cup games could possibly be held at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati to make travel easier for supporters from the neighbouring nation.
The 50-over World Cup, which will begin on October 5, will also take place in Nagpur, Bengaluru, Trivandrum, Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Rajkot, Indore, and Dharamshala.
While many international games haven’t taken place in Guwahati, Eden Gardens is highly recognised for its batting track, which also greatly aids spinners as the game goes on, and more often, spinners get the most effective during the second innings.
But there isn’t much for pacers, and this is the case across most venues in India, and that’s a challenge Taskin wants to take on.
‘All the pacers are looking forward to doing well. A lot of challenging games are coming up [in the World Cup]. Conditions will not be so easy, as they will be either sporting or batting-friendly. Pacers or spinners, everyone will face a lot of challenges. I think we have to prepare ourselves better for that,’ Taskin told the reporters in Mirpur on Tuesday.
However, the right-arm pacer is also being positive about it, as he believes if they can do well in such conditions, their self-confidence will increase.
‘If we can do well there [India], our confidence will grow more. And if we can move forward without the fear of losing, it’ll be good for us. Any bowler or cricketer can have a bad day or two. But I believe, if we can play according to our best rhythm, it’s possible to do well even in that condition. Definitely challenging, but we will take that challenge Insha Allah,’ he added.
After struggling with injuries since last March, the 28-year-old pacer has returned to bowling after the rehabilitation process.
Since he has been playing one of the leading roles in pace bowling for the Tigers, many have been worried about Taskin’s injury ahead of the World Cup, as he also missed the World Cup in 2019 due to injury.
However, Taskin, who last played in March in the home series against Ireland, told that he isn’t being too cautious, as it’s not possible to play too safely.
‘It’s never pleasant to be out of the team for injury. When I was ruled out of the 2019 World Cup, it was very sad for me. Then there was a slight change in his work ethic and process, which is very important for me as a cricketer. I am confidently giving my 100% in the field, so I hope something good will happen.’
‘It’s not possible to play safely. When you play with the ball in hand, you don’t think about how to play safely. And I am a fast bowler. Playing for Bangladesh is a matter of great pride. While playing, it doesn’t matter if a big event is coming up or not,’ he concluded.