Ripon cherishes ‘Baby AB’s’ wicket

Pace, swing and bounce. At the age of 18, Ripon Mondol already has all the qualities required to be a star in the future. The right-arm pacer was the only Bangladeshi representative in the ICC's Most Valuable Team of the Tournament from the recently-concluded ICC Under-19 World Cup. The Daily Star's Ekush Tapader got hold of the youngster as he talked about his cricketing journey, his most cherished wicket in the tournament among other things. Here are the excerpts of the interview:    

The Daily Star (DS): You scalped six wickets in 14 matches in the ICC Under-19 World Cup. How happy are you with your performance?

Ripon Mondol (RM): I am happy with my performance but not so much with the team's performance. Had we done better as a team, I would be happier. But we did try our best as a team but things did not go our way this time. Let's take the quarterfinal against India for instance. It was important to win the toss. The wicket was wet in the beginning and had we won the toss, maybe the story would have been different.

DS: How did it feel to get a place in the team of the tournament?

RM: This felt great. When we landed in Dhaka from Dubai, I was overwhelmed to see a flurry of congratulatory messages after turning my phone on. My mentors also congratulated me so it was inspiring.

DS: Tell us about your rise to this level in cricket.

RM: I used to play tape-tennis cricket since my childhood. I knew Shorif bhai, who used to play in the first division. He told me: "You should get into a cricket academy. Hopefully, something good will come of it." Then I got into a cricket academy named Global Academy in  Mohakhali, Dhaka. After that, I got called up for a team in the third division. I did not play any matches in the first season. The next year, however, I took 17 wickets in eight matches. Then I got Manjurul Islam Monju sir as my coach. He helped me get into the Surjo Torun Club in the first division. That year (2019) I took 27 wickets in 12 matches. I also became the highest wicket-taker in Dhaka first division. Then I got acquainted with cricketer Nadif Chowdhury while bowling in the nets during the Dhaka Premier League. He helped me. He said: "Your age is below 19. I will talk to the selectors and ask them to give you a shot. The rest is up to you." This is how with everyone's help I was able to reach this level.

DS: Did you always want to become a pacer?

RM: Yes.

DS: In which area do you focus more?

RM: Our [one of the] coaches Talha Jubair made us work on our line and length more than anything. The aim was to make us able to bowl all six deliveries on the same spot. I was always able to generate pace. I clocked 136kmph in the World Cup.

DS: Which was your fondest spell in the World Cup?

RM: I got four-wicket hauls against Canada and India. Both these spells are very memorable to me.

DS: Taking whose wicket gave you the most pleasure?

RM: I really enjoyed taking the wicket of South Africa's [Dewald] Brevis. He is being called 'Baby AB'. I loved taking all the wickets but his one was special.

DS: What is your plan next?

RM: I will play in the Premier League next so I would like to do well there.