Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 1052 Fri. May 18, 2007  
   
Sports


grameenphone TEST SERIES
A new start for Enamul


He is the only member in the Bangladesh side to be labelled as a Test player and that was the reason left-arm spinner Enamul Haque is going to play international cricket after a thirteen months break like Bangladesh team's return to the longer version.

"I feel like I am going to make my international debut," was his smiling response while talking about his return to the national side after a long break.

The 20-year old spinner, who hails from Sylhet, has played ten Tests so far with the success of 32 wickets but he is yet to bowl against the much-vaunted Indian batting line-up.

"I'm excited and honestly speaking, a little nervous as for the first time in my career I am going to face players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and of course Rahul Dravid. But I am also looking forward to take the challenge," said delighted Enamul.

The young left-arm spinner's bowling is considered effective in the longer-version because of his variation in flight but he has some other weapons to outwit batsmen.

"I am trying to develop a delivery for a long time which will be difficult for the left-handed batsmen. I used it during Bangladesh A team's recent tour in Sri Lanka but I'm not sure whether I will use it during this series because I am still trying to make it natural in my bowling," he disclosed.

He was also confident on his arm-ball, as he believes that it is completely different from the other left-arm spinners.

"I can still remember the dismissal of Michael Clarke in my last Test match at Fatullah last year. The batsman expected a straight armer but it took a little bit of turn which is the specialty of my delivery and I tried hard for last one year to make it perfect," said Enamul, who always analyses his bowling on his personal laptop.

Enamul was however quite aware of his tough task ahead as he has to lend perfect support to his aging but effective left-arm spin partner Mohammad Rafique.

"There is an advantage for me as I have played a number of four-day matches over the last one year which is not the case for many in the side. But it would be difficult to bowl in this kind of wicket for first two days. I definitely want my team to win the toss and decide to bat first in this kind of surface," he said. During his absence for the last one year Bangladesh team changed a lot following their one-day success and Enamul admitted that he found a new team from he had left after playing the first Test against Australia in April last year.

"It's a different team because everybody is confident. I know it will be a difficult task to do something in the Test series against India but I got the impression from the team that they have the self-confidence," he added.

The young man was shy in response as to how he personally looks at the tag of a Test bowler.