Dhaka: The rise of Bangladesh’s pace bowling has created a competitive environment for fast bowlers, as no pacers appear to be out of form, leaving them in a sweet spot of bother. Syed Khaled Ahmed, primarily regarded as a Test specialist, finds himself in a similar predicament, having played only one T20 International so far. His recent performances in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and Global Super League (GSL) for Rangpur Riders, where he took 11 wickets in four GSL matches at an average of 7.82, suggest otherwise. However, the consistent performances of other bowlers have kept him out of the T20 team.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Khaled acknowledges the positive side of competition, stating, “Of course, it is good to have competition, it is positive for any country.” Despite not securing a spot in the T20 team, he remains committed to being ready for national duty, saying, “When you will be in the midst of competition, your interest in doing hard yards will increase even more.”
Bangladesh now boasts at least 10 pacers capable of playing in any cricket format, with team management rotating bowlers to maintain their fitness and freshness. Khaled emphasizes the significance of fitness in the pace bowling revolution, noting that he strives to improve his fitness to stay competitive. Taskin Ahmed, a pivotal figure in this revolution, transformed himself during the Covid-19 pandemic by focusing on fitness and regular gym sessions.
Taskin’s commitment to fitness inspired others like Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, and Tanzim Hasan Shakib to prioritize their fitness, resulting in consistent performances over the past two years. Bangladesh’s pace arsenal is further strengthened by Hasan Mahmud’s ability to swing the ball both ways and Saifuddin’s return as a pace bowling all-rounder after a prolonged injury absence.
Khaled remains determined to strengthen his case by performing regularly, understanding that good performances are always noticed. Reflecting on his experience in franchise cricket, he said, “It was a good opportunity… I tried to perform well because, if I do well here, I will get recognition.”
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has contributed to this growth by hiring world-class fast bowling coaches, with BPL franchises also engaging renowned coaches. Khaled credits former Australian speedster Shaun Tait, who advised him to keep things simple and straightforward during his GSL stint.
Khaled also appreciates the role of local coaches, mentioning, “I spoke to our local coaches, especially Nazmul bhai and Talha bhai… The local coaches also gave their input for our development.”