Constantly pushing oneself to learn new talents should be the goal of elite cricket players throughout the world who want to maintain their current level of success. There are several examples of exceptionally brilliant players who had a strong start to their international careers but were unable to maintain their success over a lengthy period of time because they did not continue to improve their abilities and became predictable.
The advent of modern technology has made things much more difficult, as competitors are able to analyze even the minutest aspects and prepare themselves accordingly.
But despite being in top form in recent times, all-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz’s desire to learn new tactics and add to his repertoire reveals his passion to become the greatest in the industry. This impulse comes from the fact that he has been in top form in recent times.
Although the formal training camp for Bangladesh’s one-off Test match against Afghanistan, which is slated to take place the following month, has not yet begun, Miraz and Mushfiqur Rahim have already begun individual preparations at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. These preparations are in advance of the match.
Miraz, who has turned into an essential component of the national team’s spin department, was anxious to master the ‘doosra,’ which spins in the opposite way of an off-break, as he attempts to add more variety to his game.
Mushfiqur suggested asking for advice from Rezaul Islam Rajon, a former first-class cricketer who played on the same side as Mushfiqur when they were younger.
Rajon, who participated in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2006 alongside Mushfiqur, Shakib Al Hasan, and Tamim Iqbal, was considered to be one of the top off-spinners in the country. His ability to fool batters by employing the doosra in particular caught the notice of fans and critics alike.
In my early days, my coach, Mohammad Yakub sir, was important in my development of the doosra. Later on, there was a spin-bowling camp in Dhaka, and famed Pakistani off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who is credited with bringing widespread attention to the doosra, attended for a few days. I picked up the ability by working with him.
“At that time, there were not many people who were able to bowl the doosra, and my ability to bowl the delivery was well-known throughout the cricketing community,” Rajon said in an interview with The Daily Star.
However, Rajon was unable to get into the national team setup and decided to retire from professional cricket following the completion of his final Dhaka Premier League season with Abahani in 2013. After that, he made the decision to become a coach so that he could assist younger players in mastering the challenging skill of spin bowling.
In the past, players like as Shakib, Mahmudullah Riyad, and a large number of others have sought out Rajon and competed against him in nets sessions. This was done as part of their preparation to face off-spinners before participating in international competition.
Miraz, who is always eager to learn new things, was working with Rajon in the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium’s outer nets the day before yesterday.
“Mushfiqur asked me to assist him with his workouts by calling me a few days ago and making the request in person. I found him in the company of Miraz when I arrived. Since Miraz desired to work on the doosra, Mushfiqur suggested that he communicate with me. Miraz is a great learner. “He called me in the next day and asked me to help him with the doosra, and I must say that he seems eager to learn quickly,” he added. “He called me in the next day and asked me to help him with the doosra.”
Miraz’s debut on the international stage was a resounding success, as he took 19 wickets in only his first two Test matches. Since then, though, he has had his share of successes and failures.
There were times when Miraz appeared predictable, especially while playing away from home, due to a lack of variations; nonetheless, the 25-year-old continued to work hard and has emerged as an essential player of the squad across all formats. This is due to the fact that he has a wide range of variants.
“Miraz has a few tricks up his sleeve,” said the narrator. The ball that he bowls from the side-on angle usually moves away from the right-handed batter. In addition to that, he is quite adept at using the crease and bowls the drifter properly.
We have only just begun the doosra, but I’ve already seen that he has incredibly huge fingers, which is an advantage for spinners since it makes it easier for them to grip the doosra. We focused on our grip, our ability to move laterally, and where we planted our foot. He was curious as to whether or not he could bowl the doosra with the movement that he had been utilizing previously. “In my opinion, he is capable of making rapid progress in this art,” Rajon stated.