I'm 'auto fit'

From sharing his dream of being able to bowl next to his idol Mashrafe Bin Mortaza in international cricket one day to terming himself as an 'auto-fit' player and a loner who hates addas; off the field, Bangladesh's newest international pace bowler, Mohammad Shahid (MS) follows an approach as simple and direct as his bowling on the field. The Daily Star's (TDS) Bishwajit Roy caught up with him in Mirpur yesterday. The following is an extract of the exclusive interview. 

TDS: How different is international cricket?

MS: I think its all about consistency. The only difference between a Test match and a four-day match is that you have no room to err. Honestly, I wasn't thinking of too many things when I was making my debut in Khulna. I just tried my best to find a spot and keep bowling in that area repeatedly.

TDS: You bowled an eight-over spell in very hot conditions in the second Test. How painful was that?

MS: It was a little painful. [Shahadat Hossain] Rajib bhai's injury put a pressure on me. I was bowling with spinners and I didn't get enough time to rest. But I wasn't focusing on Rajib bhai's injury. I told myself that my team needs me to bowl now and that's what I focused on doing. I never asked my captain for rest.

TDS: You currently seem to be the fittest pacer in the side. What's your personal fitness routine like?

MS: If you ask me, I will tell you that I am 'auto-fit' (automatically fit). I don't work on my fitness as much. Before I didn't go to the gym that often either, but now I do. By God's grace I haven't had any major injury as yet. Hopefully I can continue that way… I still know that I have a long way to go. I personally think that its easy to get into the national team, but hard to hold on to your position.

TDS: Was it always a dream to play international cricket?

MS: When I shared the dressing room with the likes of Mushfiqur [Rahim] bhai, Shakib [Al Hasan] bhai, [Mahmudullah] Riyad bhai… to me it still feels like a dream. There were times when I used to see photographs of these players and today I laugh with them in the dressing room. It does feel like a dream.

TDS: Did you always want to be a pacer? Is there any one you follow?

MS: Mashrafe [Mortaza] bhai. I used to watch him play as a child. I remember watching him bowl beautifully against India in the Bangabandhu stadium back in the early 2000s. That's when I really got the urge to take pace bowling more seriously. Even today, I try to follow his action. I bowled with him in the Premier League once. I hope I can do that again in international cricket.

TDS: But isn't it hard for a pace bowler to develop in our conditions?

MS: National league wickets are very flat. How can you support pacers here? At these moments I ask myself, why I have become a pacer at all. The ball doesn't go to the keeper; the batsman plays it easily. It becomes a huge challenge. If they can make sporting wickets, domestic games would be far more fun to watch.

TDS: Any special targets in the India series?

MS: I would love to get Virat Kohli's wicket.

TDS: Has life changed after your international debut? Have you made more friends?

MS: Honestly speaking, from a very young age I haven't had too many friends. I don't go to too many addas either. In fact, I don't like them at all. I prefer resting at home.