Taskin targets Eng series

Pacer Taskin Ahmed exuded confidence about the likelihood of playing in the home series against England in October as he believes that he improved significantly in his rehabilitation programme. 

Taskin, along with left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny, was suspended from bowling in international cricket during the last World Twenty20 in India in March this year. An independent assessment found their actions to be illegal after being reported during the World T20 first-round match against the Netherlands.

 “I am hopeful and I am working on that aim. I don't want to miss the England series at any cost. I am working hard so that I can appear in the re-assessment examination well before the England series,” said Taskin while talking to reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

“I have improved a lot and am really happy with my improvement. Our foreign staff, including our head coach, are now abroad. I am now under the guidance of Mahbub Ali Zaki sir who is doing a wonderful job for me,” he added.

The right-arm paceman has been going through a rehabilitation programme to modify his action for a particular delivery – his bouncer -- but he made it clear that he will in no way comprise his pace.

“I will not compromise my pace. I am a fast bowler and pace is my main strength. I don't have a major problem. I am following the advice of my coach and I am hopeful that my minor problem will be eradicated very soon,” said a confident Taskin.

He said that he will go for re-assessment only when the coaches are fully satisfied but it will definitely happen before the England series.

Many were of the opinion that he could have gone for re-assessment much earlier had he not played the Dhaka Premier League but the bowler believed playing the league helped him.

“There were the video sessions and I did the drill and took part in five rehab sessions during the league. I think the league helped me in a way to correct my delivery. The match session and practice session is totally different,” he insisted.

Zaki also expressed his satisfaction over the progress of Taskin and said he saw a 70 per cent improvement. He however said that more difficult sessions are yet to come. “There are more sessions ahead and finally if we are all satisfied we will send him for re-assessment. We are hopeful that it will happen before the England series,” he said adding that the programme has been designed keeping in mind that his main strength, his high pace, should not be slowed down.