Trying to get Mustafizur to swing ball into right-handers: Gibson

Ottis Gibson, Bangladesh’s pace bowling coach, believes that pacer Mustafizur Rahman still has a role to play in Test cricket. While Gibson thought that Mustafizur needed to develop two mindsets, head coach Russell Domingo insisted that the pacer needed to do some technical work before making it in the longer format, given his axing from the Test contract list. He was only handed a partial contract for white-ball cricket, and subsequently was left out of Bangladesh’s Test squad for the first time during their tour of against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in February.

The left-arm bowler, who made his Test debut versus South Africa in 2015, has played just 13 Tests picking up 28 wickets, but his exploits in the longer version remained quite ordinary considering his impressive record in limited-overs cricket, with one of his key strengths in the shorter formats being the off-cutter. He then failed to earn a spot in the playing XI in the two-match Test series against India before being axed in the following series against Pakistan. And though he was included in the squad for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, Domingo explained to Cricbuzz that he was included as he wanted him to do some work with Gibson and not because they want him to feature in the longer format.

Gibson, who replaced Charl Langeveldt in January after the South African resigned from the post in December to join his national team in the same capacity, felt that the left-arm pacer has the ability to make his presence felt in the longer format. “Yeah I think Fizz’s still got the depth and he still got the role to play in Test cricket,” Gibson told Cricbuzz. “The interesting thing about Fizz is he played lots of white-ball cricket when he first started. He played some Tests but white-ball cricket more and that needs lots of variations and it can have an effect in Test bowling skills because the mindset is different. So he has to develop two sets of mindset,” he said.

“You have to focus on line and length for over after over in Test cricket while in white-ball you have to be unpredictable and use all your variations and skills, so the two sets of skills are very different. In Test cricket you don’t have to be the quickest but more accurate and swing the ball, either in the air or off the wicket,” he added.

Mustafizur, who was considered Bangladesh’s most talented pacer across formats only a few years ago, last played a Test in New Zealand in March 2019 and has been on the sidelines since then. While he said that he is keen on making a comeback after the red-ball snub, he also revealed that he is trying to improve his skill of making the ball come into the batsman as he feels it can be added as a variation.

Gibson admitted that they are working on it and added that this unwanted break due to Coronavirus came at a bad time as the left-arm pace bowler was getting hold of the skill that they were trying to develop. “I have worked with him for sometime and had little bit of success in getting him to swing the ball in to the right-handers. The break came in bad time because he was starting to grasp what we were trying to do, and there’s evidence as he started to swing the ball back in,” said Gibson.

“Not able to do the things for COVID-19 but he is doing the drills from home that we have done. But I am looking forward to going back to doing things were we left and take things forward. We are trying to get him back into Test side because he is a quality left-arm fast bowler and he can give you an advantage and made an impact in the Test team for sure,” he added.

Gibson also explained that they are well aware of his injury-prone nature so workload management becomes a priority. “The amount of games we play in all three formats, it’s very difficult for a fast bowler to play in all three formats and not get burnt out. Workload management becomes an issue. With regards to Fizz, the more you play the more you will learn about your body. And in fast bowlers, they can last longer when they can look after their fitness and body, not only when together as a team but also when away and we need to do a lot better.

“When he realizes that the team depends on him then he will improve and I think Fizz still has the potential to lead [pace unit] for the country and for that he needs to take the responsibility – not just bowling on the field and carrying himself but also look after the younger bowlers and the information he passes on because that’s also part of the process to be a leader in the team.

“We have a WhatsApp group going. And we are putting stuff in the group. Guys have been getting regular updated programs from trainers to coach. Russell (Domingo) has been putting some information and I have been messaging the fast bowlers personally. Once they maintain everything and are in good shape physically, then bowling can be out on out at the end. Hopefully we will be given enough times when everything settles down a bit to start bowling again [in international matches].”