Bangladesh's Taskin Ahmed & Hasan Mahmud signal new era

Bangladesh's pace bowlers averaged the best of any attack around the world, except Pakistan, in the four-year cycle building up to this World Cup

"It's fantastic that we have a group of guys who are super hungry and so competitive but also working for each other."

You would naturally expect a fast-bowling coach, in this case Allan Donald, to speak gushingly about his charges. It goes with the territory.

But the surprising thing is that ex-South Africa international Donald is describing Bangladesh's current crop of fast bowlers.

A cricket nation steeped in the pre-eminence of spin bowling, is finally changing tack.

"They've got the ability to swing the ball, they've got some of the best wrist turnovers going around, I wish I had a wrist turnover like that where every ball is coming out of the hand so sweetly," said Donald, who took more than 600 wickets for the Proteas.

During the past few years a revolution has been simmering in Bangladesh cricket, born from a realisation that producing a conveyor belt of identikit spinners is unlikely to bring long-term success.

Although still in its infancy, the strategy of promoting quick bowling is bearing fruit.

In the last 12 months, Bangladesh's fast bowlers have collectively claimed 60% of the team's one-day international wickets despite bowling 48% of the overs.

The majority of those ODIs have been played in Bangladesh, which challenges the assumption of Bangladesh playing their matches on spin-friendly tracks at home.

By contrast, over the same period, England's quicks have only taken a 40% share of their team's ODI wickets.

And it is England who are in the sights of Bangladesh when they continue their World Cup campaign on Tuesday.

Donald believes the success of Bangladesh's fast bowlers is down to a change of mindset.

"The biggest challenge was changing the way they think about themselves and collectively how to be much more aggressive as a group," he said.

"The one glaring thing that stood out for me was that they are very much outcome driven - every ball they were scared of making mistakes, as an example they were worried about bowling a bumper and going for six.

"It took a long time and convincing to change that: it's ok to go for six or four because we need to take the game on."

The de facto leader of the fast bowling unit is Taskin Ahmed. He made his ODI debut nine years ago but is playing in his first 50-over World Cup owing to an injury affected career.

The 28-year-old has already taken more ODI wickets in 2023 than in any previous calendar year and is capable of bowling at any stage in the innings. Donald is unequivocal in his praise.

"He's a magnificent human being, he's soft as butter but he can pull a different trigger when he's out there, you can see that passion, you can see the delight when he takes a wicket," said Donald.

"He asks great questions and when we spoke about leadership a year and a half ago, he was all over it, he wanted to be the guy who fronted up. When he's on, he's up there with the best of them."

However, there's a hint of worry in Donald's voice when he acknowledges the challenge of keeping Taskin fit and in form for the entire tournament.

"He's not completely built like a racehorse," he said. "If you manage his energy levels really well and look after him, you will get the best out of him. It's a really long World Cup and managing Taskin will be priority number one."

Perhaps the most exciting prospect of all the quick bowlers is 23-year-old Hasan Mahmud. The right-armer famously shuns the over-celebrating of a wicket and has previously said that he doesn't "want to upset the batters more".

Along with his team-mates, Mahmud is not in the express fast bowling category of Mark Wood or Shaheen Afridi but, according to Donald, there is a lot to be excited about.

"He's just a laid-back dude, he's a bit of a mischievous guy, he's a bit of a prankster and on the field he hides his emotions extremely well, he doesn't give much away," said Donald.

"He's a skiddy type of bowler, an effortless runner, he can move the ball out and in, he has a sharp bouncer and gets wickets in really vital situations.

"He's like one of those kids in your class who moseys on and has a laugh here and there, enjoys his cricket and goes home, he's a simple guy."

Bangladesh have never won more than three matches at a single World Cup and it remains to be seen if a rejuvenated pace attack, which also includes the left-arm Mustafizur Rahman, can offset the team's inconsistent batting and the off-field drama that have dogged the team's World Cup preparation.

"We have to be realistic about it, there's some unbelievable teams and the schedule is hectic, there's one big fish after another, it's just relentless," said Donald.

"World Cups are all about momentum, the majority of your team has to be in form and carrying no niggles. There's no doubt you need a bit of luck and you need your big players to step up."