BSS, Dhaka :
New sensation Nahid Rana, who hogged the limelight with his express pace, wants the cricket world to know him as simply Nahid Rana of Bangladesh.
The 21-year-old Nahid Rana sprung a surprise when he terrorized Pakistan batters with raw pace, something which the cricket world is not used to see from a Bangladeshi pacer.
He was the quickest bowler from both sides and after hitting the speed of 149.9 kmph twice in the series, he finally broke the 150 kmph barrier in the second Test, clocking 152 kmph.
“I don’t want to be like anyone else, I am Rana, Nahid Rana. I want to be known as Nahid Rana from Bangladesh,” the lanky pacer said in a video posted on social media by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday.
“To be honest, I don’t really follow anyone else. I admire all the pacers of Bangladesh because I have grown up watching them play on TV. I don’t want to emulate anyone else.”
After making his Test debut last March, the right-arm fast bowler shot to the limelight during the recently concluded Pakistan series where he had taken six wickets in two Tests including his career-best 4-44 in a Test innings.
More than his bowling figure, what caught attention was Pakistan batters’ clear discomfort against his express pace.
The pacer was able to use his height to gain the extra bounce, which left Pakistan batters in jeopardized state.
In the second Test, Pakistan went on the backfoot in his just one spell. Generating extra bounce, coupled with high pace, he turned the game in his just one spell in the second Test, leaving Pakistan batters speechless.
That spell evoked the memory of the cricket’s great fast bowlers who used to destroy the opponents in just probing one spell.
Nahid Rana is currently busy preparing for India tour. However he said that he would like to bowl according to the plan of the team, rather than feeling urge to increase his pace.
“I never felt that I have to increase the pace and bowl faster than 152kmph. I bowled according to the plan given by the team. Sometimes, I bowled with my own plan,” he said, adding that the rhythm is important to bowl faster.
‘Pace is not a thing that you can increase just by saying that you will bowl faster. It depends on the rhythm. When you are in good rhythm, the thing becomes easier.”