Tait backs new faces, urges Nahid to keep it simple

Bangladesh pace bowling coach Shaun Tait said that both Abdul Gaffar Saqlain and Ripon Mondol have earned their places in the T20I squad for the opening two games against New Zealand.

While Saqlain received a maiden call-up, Ripon has played three T20Is for Bangladesh, all during the 2023 Asian Games. The team management rested senior pacers Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, and Nahid Rana. Mustafizur and Nahid are expected to travel to Pakistan for the Pakistan Super League.

Tait believes the timing is right to expose Saqlain and Mondol at the international level.

"I think both of them earned their rights to be in the squad," said Tait. "It's good to see a couple of new faces. I've worked with them recently and they have both played really well over the last 12 months, whether in the BPL or emerging cricket. They've both performed really well."

"I've spent some time with them over the past month or six weeks. They're both great guys to work with, so it's always nice to get an injection of energy from a couple of younger players. I look forward to spending time with them in the T20 series."

Meanwhile, Tait advised Nahid Rana not to overcomplicate things, given the advantage his raw pace provides.

"Sometimes with fast bowlers in T20 cricket, there's a temptation to bowl lots of different deliveries," said Tait. "Chatting with Nahid, he's a smart guy. He should not make things too complicated. What's working for him is great. He does have a slower ball, but I sort of said to him there is no need to bowl it."

"Someone like Nahid—where other guys have to bowl with change-ups—he's got a lethal bouncer. A lot of the slower, 130 kph bowlers don't have a lethal bouncer, so it's probably not a wicket-taking option for them. Whereas for Nahid Rana, it's the other way round at the moment."

"He's getting a lot of wickets with his short ball, obviously with pace and bounce. He's a smart guy so he'll develop things as we go, but I would love him to keep it simple and bowl fast at the moment. In these conditions as well, it just goes to show his fitness levels. That's the biggest thing—he's fit enough when it's really hot to keep running in and bowl 10 overs at that pace. That's really encouraging; he's an asset."

"I think it took him some time to get the chance to play consistently, and he's showing now what he's capable of. People around the world are starting to notice a little bit. In the PSL, when he played for Zalmi, there was a lot of talk about him. When you get a young bloke bowling 145-150 kph, it creates noise and excitement. At the moment, all I'll say is he's fine and he's been good to work with."

When asked about similarities between himself and Nahid, Tait noted both parallels and differences.

"There's a lot of similarities, and a few differences. He's very fit—he's fitter than I was. I was a bit heavier; it was a bit more difficult for me to bowl fast. It seems a little bit easier for him because he's a great athlete, really lean and strong. He's got a good build for a fast bowler, which is why I have confidence in his ability, especially in these hot conditions."

"I was a little bit different; I probably got a little bit more injured than him. What I really enjoyed about this series so far was the last match's yorkers. That sort of brings back the days of Waqar Younis—a fast bowler coming in, taking wickets at the top, and then cleaning up the tail with fast yorkers. I love that."