‘Everything at this level is about mindset’

Bangladesh's fast-bowling department has been a revelation, with the Tigers enjoying the luxury of an extended crop of promising pacers that have started to win games for Bangladesh at home and, most noticeably, in foreign conditions. Overseeing the pace-bowling brigade is legendary South Africa pacer Allan Donald, who spoke with The Daily Star's Ekush Tapader about the changes he has seen in the pacers' skillset as well as mindset while giving insight into what had done the trick for over the past 12 months. The excerpts are below:

The Daily Star (DS): Bangladesh's pacers have been performing very impressively.

Allan Donald (AD): Yeah, I'm extremely proud of how everyone's moved forward in the last 12 months. I think our biggest improvement has been from a mental capacity. When I first came in, the first thing that I looked at and stood back and watched was our skill level. The second thing I looked at was what our mindset was like in a competitive environment. For me, everything at this level is about mindset. The skill will take over but if we are ferociously competitive as a group and not just as individuals; That was my biggest mission; To get this group competitive in every way. We can talk about strategy, we can talk about gameplans and being smart under pressure and understanding what's needed in different facets of the game but if we are competitive as a group…that has been our biggest improvement—the Bangladesh pace attack.

My vision was always to get the group a lot larger and to go and see what's down there at the younger age levels—the U-19s and the HP. I've already seen some of those kids and forgive me for not knowing their names but I have seen quite a few of them. We've had a bunch of them over when we played India in the Test match at Chattogram. There were a bunch of guys there who I think have got a lot of stokeford.

But I think the current group in Hasan Mahmud, Taskin (Ahmed), Ebadot (Hossain), Fizz (Mustafizur Rahman), Shoriful (Islam) and then there are guys underneath that like Raja (Rejaur Rahman), Khaled (Ahmed), you know guys who we don't want to label as just either Test players or 'a' format. We want to get involved and enlarge the group from where we can pick from any one of those guys and expect them to step up and play whatever format we want them to play. 

DS: What is the main reason behind this development of pacers?

AD: I think, If you take a guy like Ben Stokes and what he's done and how he does things and currently I think the greatest example is the England team at the moment in Test cricket and One-Day cricket. They've changed their way, they've changed their mindset towards any format. They're going to go out there and they are going to smash. It's what they do. They are ferociously competitive and they are very much in your face. This is what we're trying to achieve, not just as a bowling unit but as a group in all the formats that we're playing in. 
From a bowling point of view, I'm so proud of how everyone has embraced this new way not worrying about getting hit for a six, not worrying about what it might look like If I get it wrong.

In terms of strike rates, I think we've improved in all formats, especially in white ball because that's a given, that's what it should be. If you don't go at the batters and don't take risks, you're not going anywhere. It's all about aggression vs aggression.

DS: Do you think Bangladesh will have one of the best pace attacks in this year's World Cup?

AD: I think in the World Cup, the pitches are going to be just as fantastic as they were in England. It's going to be very good wickets in the World Cup, there's no question about it. In 2011, I was there with New Zealand and experienced that first-hand. All the pitches were just sublime. So, there's going to be really tough moments. In the tough moments, we'd have to be at our best. That's just an old cliché but it's going to come down to those moments and how cool can we be under pressure. We've spoken about it a lot and we've executed a lot of good things. It's time for this group to march on, to be more gutsy, to be more aggressive, to be more fearless, and embrace the bigger issues with pressure.

DS: Hasan Mahmud is bowling well. He seems very mature, especially for his age. What do you think his specialty is?

AD: Hasan Mahmud is an extremely talented young man. I just love his personality, his character, he doesn't seem to be fazed under pressure although he's still young in his career. I think the impact that he's had especially in bowling with the new ball has been significant because he's always broken partnerships very quickly with high-class fast bowling. He likes to pitch the ball up, he's got some good shape on the ball going both ways. I think he always asks very good questions and simplifies everything. He doesn't really overthink things which is a great trait to have.

I think his energy with the new ball is exactly what we talk about. Whenever he's come on, he's had an impact almost immediately. I just find him to be such a cool guy. Just so relaxed about things. He's got this almost boyish look but he's a wonderful competitor and just his calmness under pressure at the end, that's the sort of thing that we're looking for. He's not going to get it right all the time but so far he's been superb under pressure When we needed someone to be calm and close out the game for us. 

DS: There are many pacers in the pipeline now. Does that motivate everyone?

AD: The competition among all the pacers for places is so great to see. It's obviously going to be a very difficult choice for the selectors. For the Asia Cup, I think you probably see what sort of direction the selectors might go into. Having to pick five seamers for the World Cup, or six, we don't know. I think just looking around and how hard everyone's working is terrific and how everyone is punching the door down to get into final selection places for the World Cup is what we want. That's what we spoke about six months ago. Not that everyone works against each other but work for each other. The closeness that has been created in this seamer's group vastly has been nothing but complementary.