Right-arm pacer Taskin Ahmed said almost all the bowlers concede runs but he gets highlighted more than the others because of the flying start to his international career. The statement from the Bangladesh bowler was a reply to the concerns surrounding his long pale patch. The speedster made a decent start to his T20I career in April, 2014 at the World T20. However, it was two months later, in his ODI debut that Taskin really made an impact with a five-wicket haul against India at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.
Taskin however, has not been in the best of form since Bangladesh’s tour of Ireland last year. In six ODIs since April last year, Taskin has picked up four wickets. Meanwhile in four T20Is, the paceman has bagged only two wickets. While in his lone Test match, played during the tour of South Africa last September, he remained wicket-less.
“To be honest everyone concede runs and take wickets. I had a good start to my career but I have not been upto the mark in around eight of the 10 (international) matches which I have played. I am not doing well and that is being noticed, which is very natural. I have not been consistent, but it is not that I am doing it intentionally. I am trying but failing. I don’t think it will be wise to think much about it, rather I want to be relaxed and work on it. I already spoke to the seniors, the coaches. I hope I can hit form soon,” Taskin explained during his interaction with the media Saturday.
Taskin following Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa last year was axed from the national fold for the tri-nation ODI home series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, along with the bilateral Test and T20I series’ against the Lankans. The 23-year old pacer made a comeback to the dressing room for the Nidahas T20I tri-series in March this year but featured in only two among five games in the series, involving India and host Sri Lanka. Taskin in the series took just two wickets in six overs.
After returning to Dhaka, the struggling Bangladesh bowler had eyed a solid comeback at the recently completed Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League season 2017-18. Taskin in the premier 50-over domestic tournament of the country basked in the glory of lifting the championship trophy with Abahani Limited but failed in meeting his ambition of a comeback. The pacer notched 16 wickets in nine matches and did not make it to the top 10 of the highest wicket-takers’ list this season.
Veteran Bangladesh pacer Mashrafe bin Mortaza topped the bowlers’ chart in the competition with a record 39 wickets in 16 matches, followed by Legends of Rupganj’s Asif Hasan and Mohammad Shahid and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club’s Farhad Reza, who all have 29 wickets each.
“Of course (it’s frustrating). Got only nine wickets in 16 games. The economy would have been better if I had around 20-22 wickets. I tried but it did not happen unfortunately. I hope to do better in the coming days. There are some small injuries, once recovered I will work on my skills,” said Taskin.
“I can only get better with my economy if I can improve my accuracy and variation. It is not that I am not practising or that I am not trying. I am doing everything that is needed to be done. But luck is not favouring me – even a good delivery is reaching the boundary from an edge. I believe the time is not going right for me and hope that it (bad run) will soon end,” Taskin said.