Zakir Hasan excited to face Pak pacers

Bangladesh Test opener Zakir Hasan shared insights into his preparations for the upcoming tour to Pakistan for a two-Test series later this month.

Zakir emphasized that Pakistan’s bowlers are world-class, making it challenging to face their pace attack in any format, especially in Tests. To tackle these challenges, Zakir mentioned that the team has been working hard in training camps, analyzing video footage of the Pakistani bowlers, and preparing accordingly.

“If you look at the Pakistan bowlers they have always been really good... they have world class bowlers. So if you play Test or any format against them, it will be tough and challenging to face their pace bowlers. At the same time we are also working on that and have worked on that in the camps, and also seen the video analysis. So we have tried to take preparations accordingly. Now let’s see. We have an A team match there. I once played a one-day there in the emerging Asia Cup, but never played a Test. Hopefully if I get to play a Test there, I’ll get a better understanding of the wicket,” Zakir told Cricbuzz.

When asked about the challenge of Pakistan’s reverse swing, he responded,”It’s a big factor (reverse swing). If you see, their bowlers are really good at reversing the ball when it becomes old. So what I think is that even If we are set, the reversing balls will be a challenge.”

Bangladesh ‘A’ team will be playing two-four day matches against Shaheens in Pakistan ahead of the Test series.

He also emphasized the importance of sending an ‘A’ team ahead of the main squad, drawing a comparison to India’s approach.

“If you look at India, in most of the countries where they play, they send their A team first and a lot of players play there. So according to me it’s really important for us to play. Because if we go to Pakistan, the A team is going earlier, we will play matches and understand the environment and everything earlier, we can take better preparations. If we can do that at all times, then I think it will be great for us. At the same time, those who are in the national team are able to take preparations and also the ones that are outside the national team can also get ready,” he concluded.

Capitalise on momentum

Bangladesh’s next assignment is a tour to Pakistan for a two-Test series later this month. On Saturday, former New Zealand pacer and Bangladesh’s pace bowling coach, Andre Adams, shared his insights on the Tigers’ prospects in the series and his observations about the pacers.

Adams highlighted patience as the biggest challenge Bangladesh will face in Pakistan. He pointed out that the pitches in Pakistan tend to be flat, with more happening on the fourth and fifth days than the first three.

“If you look at their [Pakistan] Test series against Australia and New Zealand, those wickets were really flat. There was a lot more happening in the fourth and fifth day than the first three days. There is a trend at the moment in world cricket that Tests don’t go beyond three or four days. I think in Pakistan, you got to have the will to take the game to five days. So, the pacer need to bowl with a lot of patience, understand the wickets. You will require a lot of patience as they got some fine batsmen. Basically, I think the biggest challenge playing in Pakistan is accepting that it’s not going to be like how you want it to be but you have to do what needs to be done,” Adams told The Daily Star.

To excel in Pakistan, Adams advised the pacers to focus on using the movement in the air with the new ball as well as achieving reverse swing with the older ball.

“One of the biggest things while playing in Pakistan is the ability to use the movement in the air with the new ball as well as the older ball, when you get some reverse swing. And certain variations are obviously going to be very crucial. Whether it’s cross seam or wobble seam or even just wide of the crease or close to the stumps, you need to try some variations and see what the ball does,” he said.