From Sylhet
Nazmul Hossain smiled when asked about the question. He knows well the challenges of having to play with speedster Nahid Rana, as he has been part of discussions about the pace bowler. However, Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams hasn’t played against Nahid Rana, so he wouldn’t be aware of it.
Williams has never faced Nahid Rana in any format, which led to his recent remark about the speedster. In response, the Bangladesh captain addressed this on the eve of the match.
Nazmul said that Zimbabwe will understand the kind of bowler Nahid is when they face him on the field. Referring to Williams’ comment, Nazmul added, “When Nahid bowls tomorrow and the opposition bats, their body language will clearly show how different Nahid is.”
Asked about Nahid’s pace, Williams had downplayed it by saying, “There are many bowlers who bowl fast these days. Only one bowler doesn’t bowl at high speeds. We are prepared for that. We even have a bowling machine that can bowl faster than humans.”
As for the team’s message to Nahid, Nazmul clarified, “I’ve known him for a long time. Even when he was practicing at the academy, I’ve seen him. Since then, we’ve always had one clear message: he should bowl at speeds above 140 km/h. The message is clear. I hope tomorrow, if he plays, he will bowl faster than 140 km/h.”
The first Test of the series begins tomorrow at the Sylhet International Stadium. The second and final Test of the series will start in Chattogram on April 28.
