Agencies
Bangladesh Emerging team’s left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam said on Monday that following tips from Daniel Vettori paid dividends against Ireland Wolves in the lone four-day match in Chattogram.
Tanvir was the chief architect of Bangladesh’s emphatic win over Wolves as he took 13 wickets in the match to script the hosts’ innings and 23-run victory inside three days. He claimed 5-55 in the first innings before taking 8-51 in the second innings to wrap up the visitors for 151 and 139 runs respectively in the contest. Tanvir revealed to Cricbuzz that Bangladesh team’s spin consultant Vettori, who has worked with him in the nets once so far during his stay in Dhaka, urged him to change the release point and following those instructions is bringing him success.
“I just had one session with Vettori and after watching me bowl in the nets he said that I am releasing the ball from the back but if I can change it and release it slightly forward it would be beneficial. I am following that tip and since then it is proving to be a successful move. At the moment, I am learning how to bring variation in my flight,” Tanvir said, adding that he was more focussed on varying his pace against the Irish side.
“There was grass on the wicket and our head coach Champaka Ramanayake asked me to bowl in the right line and length and just focus on varying my pace as he felt as they would lose their patience and give me wickets and that is what happened,” he told Cricbuzz.
Tanvir, who is predominantly a white-ball bowler, said his doubts whether he can bowl for a long period were cleared after the two-day game that he played before the start of this series.
“It’s true that I am not a long-format bowler and did not bowl for a long period of time but before the four-day games there was a two-day game where I bowled for 30 overs and from that point I had the confidence that I can bowl for a longer period of time.”
Tanvir also noted that his three seasons in Bangladesh’s High Performance setup has helped him improve his fitness that he feels is helping him bowl better.
“My fitness has developed after coming into the High Performance unit. Earlier I could not control the ball for the whole day but now as my fitness improved it is helping me to bowl consistently. I don’t lose my length like earlier and even if I lose the control that is comparatively much less than before.”
After the lone four-day match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, the teams will now clash in the first-three one-day matches of the five-match series at the same venue on March 5, 7 and 9 respectively.
Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka will host the remaining two one-day matches on March 12 and 14 respectively while the T20s will take place at the same venue on March 17 and 18 respectively.