Tait backs new faces, urges Nahid to keep it simple

While Saqlain received a maiden call-up, Ripon has played three T20I matches for Bangladesh, all during the 2023 Asian Games cricket competition. The team management, meanwhile, rested three senior pacers - Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana. Mustafizur and Nahid are expected to travel to Pakistan to feature in the Pakistan Super League for their respective franchises.

"I think both of them earned their rights (to be in the squad)," said Tait ahead of the ODI series decider. "It's good to see a couple of new faces in the national team, obviously we have seen a bit of them. I've worked with them recently. I've seen a little bit of them in their emerging stage and whatever before that, and they both have played really well last 12 months, whether it is BPL, or emerging cricket, they've both performed really well.

"I've spent some time with them over the past month or six weeks, they're both great guys to work with, so it's always nice to get an injection of energy from a couple of younger players in the squad. So I look forward to spending some time with them in the T20 series, with those two guys."

Meanwhile, Tait said Nahid Rana does not need to overcomplicate things, given the advantage his raw pace provides. "Sometimes with the fast bowlers... in the modern day game especially T20 cricket, there's this temptation to bowl lots of different deliveries so I think yeah, chatting with Nahid, he's a smart guy. (He should) not to make things too complicated, at the moment, what's working for him is great, he does have a slower ball.

"I sort of said to him there is no need to bowl it, you don't have to bowl that - you know so someone like Nahid - where other guys have to bowl with changeups, he's got a lethal bouncer, so a lot of the slower bowlers, 130 (kph) bowlers don't have a lethal bouncer so it's probably not a wicket taking option. Whereas for Nahid Rana it's the other way (round) at the moment," said Tait.

"He's getting a lot of wickets with his short ball obviously with pace and bounce so, look, he's a smart guy so he'll develop things as we go but I would love him to keep it simple and bowl fast at the moment. In these conditions as well it just goes to show his fitness levels, that's the biggest thing, he's fit enough when it's really hot, keep running in and bowl 10 overs at that pace, that's really encouraging, he's an asset.

"I think it (took) him some time to get the chance to play consistently, and I think he's showing now what he's capable of, people around the world are starting to notice a little bit because in the PSL, when he played for the Zalmi, there was a lot of talk about him there so obviously when you get a young bloke bowling a 145-150, it creates noise and excitement. At the moment all I'll say is he's fine and he's been good to work with," he said.

When asked whether he sees similarities between himself and Nahid, Tait said there were both parallels and differences. "There's a lot of similarities, there's a few differences. He's very fit, he's fitter than I was - I was a bit heavier, it was a bit more difficult for me to bowl fast. (It) seems a little bit easier for him because he's a great athlete, really lean and strong, he's got a good build for a fast bowler which is why I have the confidence, especially in these conditions, it's really hot. I've got a lot of confidence in his ability," he said.

"I was a little bit different, I probably got a little bit more injured than him. What I really enjoyed about this series so far was the last match's yorkers. That sort of brings back the days of Waqar Younis, you know, a fast bowler coming in, taking wickets at the top and then cleaning up the tail with fast yorkers, I love that. Personally I love that," Tait added about Rana.

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