Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed speaks to reporters during a training session at the National Academy Cricket Ground in Mirpur on Saturday. — New Age photo
Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed said on Saturday that he was not taking any pressure to retain his position in the national team despite facing a stiff competition.
The 22-year old pacer passed a woeful year with his fellow pacers who failed miserably in all three formats in the past 12 months, which contributed to some of the embarrassing results of the national team.
Taskin achieved a personal milestone when he became the fifth Bangladeshi bowler to get a hat-trick in ODI format against Sri Lanka in a rain-hit second ODI in Dambulla, but he could not replicate the form in the following matches, claiming just 10 wickets in nine matches that he played.
The right-arm pacer also made his Test debut this year against New Zealand but could take only seven wickets in five matches at an average of 97.42.
Taskin also misfired in Twenty20 internationals where could take only one wicket in four matches he played in 2017.
His poor form, which coincided with the below-par show of other bowlers, compelled the selectors to include as many as 11 pacers in the 32-member preliminary squad for the upcoming tri-nation and bilateral series against Sri Lanka.
Pacers like Abu Jayed, Abu Hider were expected to give a tough competition to the regular bowlers, though Taskin said he was ready to accept the challenge.
‘Those who are here are all skilful and good pacers. It is always a challenge for all,’ Taskin told reporters in Mirpur.
‘There is always a pressure if someone can’t perform…but you can’t improve yourself if you take the pressure. So I’m not thinking about it and trying to prepare myself well,’ he added.
Taskin was also confident that the pacers would make a strong comeback in the upcoming tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe as well as in the bilateral series against Sri Lanka on the home soil.
‘We [pacers] could not perform well in last two series especially in the South Africa series where we had a terrible time. I’m hopeful that we will bounce back strongly in the next series.
‘Everyone is working really hard and trying to improve themselves. There is a lot of competition in the team right now and everyone is aware of that. So I hope that everything will be good for us,’ he added.
Source: New Age.
