‘I’m at my best when I bowl fast and aggressive’

Ebadot Hossain has had a great start in ODIs with 19 wickets in just seven innings, quite contrary to his Test debut three years back. Talking to The Business Post’s Shams Rahman, the Sylhet Rocket opens up on his attitude while bowling, his improvement, and his learning curve

You were deemed to be a Test bowler but then broke into the white-ball teams. When did you start working on it?

I used to dream of playing white-ball cricket while playing Tests. After working on accuracy with the red ball, I got the belief that I can do well with the white ball too. (Former Bangladesh fast-bowling coach) Ottis Gibson appreciated me saying that my skills had developed enough to play white-ball cricket. (Former Bangladesh head coach) Russell Domingo also told me that I was very close to white-ball cricket and told me to stay prepared.

What changes did you have to make in your bowling for white-ball cricket?

In Tests, you have to focus on your accuracy and speed throughout the day. So, I improved my fitness and skill level. Before my first ODI, Tamim (Iqbal) bhai told me, ‘I will take you in the ODI team but I want to see you bowl fast and aggressive.’ I thought that it was what I can. I am at my best when I bowl fast and aggressively. So, I told him that I will do what he wants.

Are ODIs comparatively easier for you because you don’t have to care about the whole day and can put all your energy into those 10 overs?

Yes. Before, spinners took the ball in the 11th over after the pacers used the new ball. But that has changed now. Now, the likes of Mark Wood, Lockie Ferguson, and other such threatening bowlers come on as the first change and try to find wickets. Now, I have that responsibility in our team. Ottis told me that my accuracy, my rhythm is good when I’m bowling fast and aggressively; that the ball pops up a bit, moves around, and the pace is good. Allan Donald has also told me the same thing, that everything is all right when I’m being fast and aggressive.

What is your target during the middle overs? Is it to shock the batters and make them a little afraid with your pace?

Yes, definitely. As I have the license from my captain to do that, I try to keep doing that. When I bowl fast, the batters face trouble.

I keep doing that and it has been working so far.

How has it been working with Donald? He often talks to the pacers at the boundaries during matches, what does he say?

I am enjoying working with him. When we are in a good position or I am taking wickets, he tells me to keep doing that. When I’m bowling quickly and the ball is moving around, he tells me to not change anything and try anything different. Like he tells me to bowl the odd bouncer and go for the top of off stump. He just keeps following up so that we don’t change our mindset and keep bowling aggressively when we do.

Does he feed you with the batters’ weaknesses and other things too?

We get that during our planning. If we forget about any of them, then he comes around and reminds us.

In the last World Cup, Liam Plunkett played a huge role in the middle-overs for England. Do you hope to emulate that this time?

Definitely. If I get the chance, I will try to do well. It’s of huge pride to play for your country in the World and I want to grab that opportunity. I wanted my start in ODIs to be good, unlike the start of my Test career. And I want to continue on this good start.

About starts, your T20I debut against Sri Lanka was a mixed bag as you had done well but could not keep it up in the death. How did that affect you?

I reviewed that match later on. I was watching the balls, my field placement, what I wanted to do, and what mistakes I made. There was a lot of heat there and my body was cramping as I had not played in Dubai before. But that match was a huge learning curve for me. When I had the physical energy, I did really well and turned the match in our favour. Later, I analysed the later overs to see the mistakes I made when I was physically not 100% and what I could do better.

How do you enjoy the competition that the pacers have in the squad now?

Very much. Our fast-bowling group has a healthy competition going on. We do not compete against each other; we compete with ourselves. You can see the hunger in the pacers to improve, and if you look at the last two-three years, everybody has gradually improved. The mindset we are on, our goal is far bigger and hopefully, we will reach there.

Bangladesh fielding coach Shane McDermott was pretty impressed with how the pacers have improved in fielding. Can you tell me what has he worked on specifically?

Not just him, but our trainer Nick Lee also works with us on our fielding. Everybody says that there are problems with the pacers’ fielding, that we can’t take catches, we don’t want to hear that. Look at Taskin’s (Ahmed) catches, those are unbelievable. We want to get rid of those negative thoughts about our fielding. That is the mindset we are keeping, just like bowling, and we are trying to improve our batting too.

In the series against Ireland, you will get pacer-friendly conditions in England. How eager are you to bowl there?

Very much. The ground at Chelmsford is a little small straight down. (Easier to hit sixes) Yes, a bit. But very eager to play there because I have not played in England yet. I will try to even bowl 15 overs there as to my usual 10. Because we don’t generally play there much, and England have not invited us that much. But the way we are improving, they are bound to invite us.