‘I like this version of Mustafizur even more than before’

DS: What is a good cricket culture and how can Bangladesh improve its own?

IB: Team culture, by definition, could be viewed as "the set of values, attitudes, belief systems and behaviors shared by a specific group". I am not close enough to the Bangladesh set up to give them any advice. Bangladesh have been improving their game gradually in the white-ball formats for some time now so I am sure that their excellent and experienced management will have a firm grip on their needs. For any young club or school team though who may need it, some of those principles would be a culture of hard work, sharing in each other's success, each player always looking for ways to improve, holding each other accountable, what and how do the team want to play the game, honesty and integrity, etc. Much of that culture would and should be driven by the senior players and team leaders. Seniors do it then others follow easily.

DS: You have seen the Bangladesh U-19 team very closely during the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. What are the areas Bangladesh cricket should focus on to prepare those cricketers?

IB: The Bangladesh U-19 team was very impressive in their World Cup win. It is yet another indication of Bangladesh's continued rise as a cricketing force. Shoriful Islam is already in the senior set-up, and I hope Akbar Ali will join soon enough. Mahmudul Hassan Joy, Towhid Hridoy all have talent. The biggest thing that I found with that U-19 group was that they were fearless. I remember having a brief conversation with Khaled Mahmud after the win and he seems to have his fingers on the pulse of what is required of this talented group.

DS: Bangladesh is yet to produce an express fast bowler. Can you prescribe how a young pacer could develop?

IB: Once the BCB finds a bowler of the required pace -- Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, all have good skills and pace -- they must apply specific attention and management to those players. If it means taking the young player out of his domestic environment for periods of time to strengthen, nourish and procure then it must be so. Ottis Gibson will be a great asset to them. Proper diet and strength and conditioning are critical to these young bowlers. It will not be possible to compete away from the sub-continent if Bangladesh do not develop a cadre of bowlers who can bowl close to, or over 140kph. If quicker pitches come to fruition it will encourage fast bowling and even improve the batting standards. I have seen this work in the Caribbean in recent years and in India.

DS: You have seen Mustafizur Rahman in the past and in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies this time around. What's your observation on The Fizz?

IB: I like this version of Mustafizur even more than what I saw in previous years. His ability to swing the new ball into the right-handed batsman now is such an asset when it compliments his cutter. His pace looks to be back up and his rhythm looks good.

DS: Conditions are not always ideal for seamers in the sub-continent. How should a young pacer get the best out of it?

IB: Bowling in Asia demands great fitness. There have always been different types of pitches across the sub-continent. There have been times when some have assisted seamers, and somewhere the ball has swung. Generally, though, when you find the slower ones there must also be an ability to know when to bowl at the stumps as pitches dry up and get slower and lower. The art of normal swing and reverse swing is critical and also becomes an integral part of seam bowling on dry pitches, which by their abrasiveness aid reverse swing. Patience is also a good virtue to have as a bowler on some Asian pitches unless you have extreme pace and skill.

DS: You must be hoping for a better show from the West Indies team in the upcoming two-match Test series?

IB: I am hoping, just as any former player would do that the West Indies acquit themselves better in the Tests than the team did in the ODIs. It will be tough as they need to bat much better than they have done in recent times. The bowling, for all its ability and skill, needs to come to the fore again. In the last four Test matches, they have been going for a lot of runs without getting 20 wickets.