Rubel: Bangladesh pacers have edge over Sri Lanka

Bangladesh paceman Rubel Hossain believes their pace attack has the edge to that of their opponent Sri Lanka ahead of their tri-nation ODI series match Friday. The Tigers performed clinically against visiting side Zimbabwe as the host’s pacers maintained accurate line and length, along with the spinners, to restrict them within 170. On the eve of an important game against the Lankans, Rubel informed that Bangladesh have experienced pacers in their squad while left-arm paceman Mustafizur Rahman is getting back to his rhythm. “I think there are good pacers in both teams. Mashrafe [bin Mortaza] bhai always bowls well and is in good touch, and Mustafizur is also returning to where he was before. We have some good pacers; I think I will give the edge to Bangladesh on that front,” said Rubel to the media at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka Wednesday. “We played very well in the last match, so we want to maintain that consistency. Chandika Hathurusingha is in the opposition camp and we want to win the next game. Everyone is preparing accordingly. It is our home condition and we know how to win here. There are senior cricketers who are very helpful. We are not really thinking about Hathurusingha being in the opposition camp, but still with Sri Lanka being coached by someone who was very recently our coach, that is something that is in the back of our minds, but we are trying to progress match by match,” he added.

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Pace bowlers usually like to bowl the opening spell but Rubel’s role in the team is different as he often bowls in the middle part with a relatively old ball. When asked about his desire of bowling with the new ball, the right-arm pacer said like every paceman, he likes to bowl with new ball, but he is prepared to bowl in any situation according to team’s requirement. “Of course I feel like bowling with the new ball. I worked a lot on bowling with the new ball. When the situation dictates – like when a bowler is charged by a batsman [early] – I come on to bowl, and that has happened in many matches, and Alhamdulillah, I have done well. So it is according to the situation – the captain can use me whenever and wherever I am needed,” he explained. Rubel achieved a milestone in the Zimbabwe ODI as he bagged his 100th wicket. The pacer has played 81 ODIs to reach the landmark. Rubel stated that he has a dream of capturing 300 ODI wickets in future. “I have played 100 matches [81] in eight, nine years – I was injured for a year in that time, it took a lot of time to get to that mark [100 wickets]. In our condition pace bowlers cannot play continuously. There is no target as such – it would be nice if I can end on 200, 250, 300 wickets.”