Former Bangladesh bowling coach Shaun Tait seems to be a happy man when he sees his team shine in his backyard. In an exclusive chat with Cricbuzz, the former Australian pacer shared his experience of coaching in Bangladesh while pointing out what has worked for the touring pace unit down under and more.
Here are excerpts:
Bangladesh are playing Australia and the Pacers are playing brilliantly. How does it make you feel?
Tate: And I have to say I’m very proud of them. I am very happy. Even though they are playing against my home country, I am very happy to watch them perform well.
Bangladesh are missing Nahid Rana, but the way the rest of the group have stepped up suggests they are growing stronger.
You know? I think I interviewed you probably when I was a bowling coach and I feel like we talked about it like I told you there’s some great depth there. Even if there are some injuries, there are other guys to come and stand up. I truly believe that all fast bowlers can play in all three formats. I think they are all versatile bowlers and I think that is a huge thing for Bangladesh. I think they’ve done a really good job and I think there are a number of years to come where they will thrive.
How do you see Hassan Mahmoud’s development as a key player?
Yes, he’s back from injury too. He recently had an elbow complaint so I think he’s done a really good job coming back from that injury. Obviously the medical staff did a good job with him. I think the most important thing is that he went on to play county cricket as well for Kent. I’ve spoken to him a bit and he’s been exposed to some county cricket and I think that’s good for your confidence. We know he can play Test cricket but he can also play T20Is with his mates. You know he’s a really good person to work with. I have become good friends with him and I am very happy to see him doing so well.
The rider is usually very aggressive but seems very calm. Do you think this is one of his biggest strengths?
Very quiet, mild-mannered, nice person, you know. Like, he’s not the typical fast bowler, aggressive, and all that kind of stuff but he’s an intelligent guy. He’s a smart man. He thinks about his cricket well and I think you are right he is very humble. He is a very balanced person. To come to Australia and perform like this is amazing.
Do you feel Hassan knows what he is capable of when it comes to speed? I mean he knows she can’t play over 150 because he doesn’t have that speed so he knows he has to work on his variations and is that one of his biggest strengths?
I look at this Test match, it’s just really boring bowling which is exactly what you need to do in Test cricket where you just need to bowl the ball at a boring length, a good length all the time. The best bowlers in Test cricket do just that. They played really well all day and I thought he was able to be really consistent. Even if you look at the Test match compared to some of the Australians, Hassan was really consistent with his line and length. And this is the trick. If you can be consistent, you can be successful.
Earlier, Bangladeshi league players used to bowl a lot of short balls in outdoor conditions because they were not used to such pitches. But this time, they seem to be playing with much greater length. Do you think this is a big room for improvement for Bangladesh?
100%. You are exactly there. 100%. This is a big thing. If you bowl in Test cricket, any form of cricket. You know, we used to talk about it with them when I was there, and I think they’ve continued that even since I left. I know the coaching staff is still pushing that idea, just to throw at that full length, especially in the conditions. I think they will be going to South Africa as well later in the year. And it’s the same thing, it’s the same thing in South Africa. Bowl there, bowl a little bit, almost to the point where you’re bowling a little full, it’s better than bowling too short. I even think in the Indian subcontinent you can do that too (bowling bigger tournaments) and then as the day goes on you can adjust your lengths. But I still think the mentality is, even in Bangladesh, even in India, even in Pakistan, you can still bowl. This is a good starting point.
Do you feel that the Bangladesh Premier League players have come of age and that the team, unlike in the past, is no longer so dependent on its players?
I think I said this before the Bangladesh cricket team realized that their strength now lies in fast bowling. That’s definitely the case and I think Bangladesh’s strength at the moment in cricket is fast bowling. They started producing better and better pitches back home in Bangladesh for the fast bowlers, and they got some really good results, even in white-ball cricket. If they keep nurturing their fast bowlers and keep producing wickets for Bangladesh which gives their fast bowlers something, they will have a lot of success and as we have seen, they can go abroad and have the same success as well. But I think the challenge now is to support him in the second test match. They should finish this Test match very strongly, hopefully, and then the second Test match against Australia will be another challenge. Now, hopefully they can back that up and play well again.
You’ve always said that you try to teach fast bowlers to keep it simple…
Well, look, I’ve only played three Test matches, but what I know is that the best bowlers of all time have different attributes, but the one thing they all do is the ball is really consistent, and like I said, keep it simple. And I think a lot of my conversations with Nahid Rana even over the past 12 months were just simple conversations. It goes at 150 kilometers per hour, and you don’t need to do much. You don’t need a million slower balls, you don’t need a lot of stuff. All you have to do is run in a consistent zone and your pace is already there. I think all the credit should go to the players. I think sometimes a lot of the credit goes to the coaches, and I think the coaches, as coaches, we just guide them. I think, I think at the end of the day, the players really deserve credit.
Maybe Hassan follows the same motto just to keep it simple?
Yes 100%. I think he already knew that before I even got there. I think the best thing with fast bowlers is that you can create a happy environment for them. So for me, I think the number one thing is to try and create a really peaceful, happy and fun environment for the fast bowlers, and if you can do that and not give them too much information, I really think you can have some success. And, you know, I think it’s really important that it continues.
Any plan to return?
Oh, look, who knows? Look, for me (leaving the Bangladesh bowling coach position) was a big decision for my family. I think I could come back in some capacity but not full time with all 3 formats…
More as a consultant?
Oh, yeah, yeah, of course, of course, I’ll definitely think, of course. Yes.
