Happy to see Fizz's smile return: Walsh
Mustafizur Rahman's comeback with his trademark smile in the second Test against Australia pleased bowling coach Courtney Walsh ahead of the Tigers' tough away challenge in South Africa, where the pacers will need to play a big role as opposed to their limited contributions at home.
"Mustafizur bowled well and he showed aggression and good control. I think getting those wickets will give him confidence as well. Getting David Warner out twice in the same Test is no mean feat because he is a class player. Obviously they play for the same team in the IPL [Indian Premier League] so there is a bit of satisfaction. What I am happy to see is the aggression and the smile coming back, these are good signs," said Walsh while speaking to reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.
Mustafizur not only went wicketless in the first Test, but looked ordinary. However, the 22-year-old generated good pace and bounce while sticking to better lengths and provided evidence of some new artillery in stock in the second.
Since joining the Tigers as a specialist bowling coach last September, the legendary West Indies pacer is probably going to face the biggest challenge with the pace department when they take on the Proteas in their own den. Walsh was well-aware of that fact, which is why he was not willing to waste any time in preparing his pacers for the tour.
"It's going to be seaming condition; that we all know. In South Africa that is what we are expecting. The seamers have to be more on the mark and we won't have time for complacency this week. So the work has to be done and that's why I came earlier to work with the bowlers and try hard to get everybody in shape. It's going to be a test and a challenging time for us," said Walsh.
"We have improved a lot. The experience that we have gained will help us even in the different conditions of South Africa. The team has improved and the guys have the hunger. They want to do well, they want to make Bangladesh proud, they want to perform at the highest level," he continued.
Walsh believed that nothing would have been better than winning the Test series against Australia, but he rated the draw highly adding: "You have to give them [Australia] credit. Nathan Lyon bowled extremely well and David Warner hit back to back Test hundreds. I think the difference between the two teams was that they were a bit more consistent than us."
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