Bangladesh pace bowling coach Shaun Tait has called for calm and perspective as rising fast bowler Nahid Rana continues his development at the highest level, saying it’s still early days in the young quick’s Test career.
Speaking after Day 3 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Tait offered his thoughts on the handling of the new ball and Rana’s performance, as the Tigers found themselves on the back foot despite a strong start earlier in the match.
“Anyone who bowls at that pace—you’ve got to give him the new ball from time to time,” said Tait. “I don’t know, going forward, who is always going to take the new ball. I don’t know that. This is my first Test match, and we have two fast bowlers, so he has to take the new ball.”
Rana, playing in just his eighth Test, has quickly drawn the spotlight for his raw pace and aggression. While expectations are mounting, Tait was quick to remind observers that the 21-year-old is still very much a work-in-progress.
“He’ll be absolutely fine,” Tait said. “It’s still early in his career, and he has obviously burst onto the scene. There’s a lot of attention on him, and there’s going to be a lot of expectation as well.”
The former Australian speedster, known for his own express pace during his playing days, acknowledged the growing pressure on Rana—both from the media and the fans.
“I don’t know if Bangladesh has ever had somebody like him—maybe he’s the most exciting fast bowler they’ve ever had. So he’s definitely going to have a little bit of pressure on him—from you guys, from the public, for sure.”
For Tait, his role as bowling coach extends beyond just technical input. Managing Rana’s temperament and focus amidst the noise is now just as important as fine-tuning his bowling mechanics.
“That’s up to me to work with him on,” he said. “As bowling coach, it’s not just about the bowling all the time—it’s also about how to deal with these pressure situations, being a young superstar coming through.”
Assessing Bangladesh’s bowling effort on the day, Tait admitted the Tigers could have done more with the new ball.
“In general, today we were looking forward to the new ball spells. And yeah, today he wasn’t that bad—he was alright, he was okay. It wasn’t terrific. If I think about the bowling across the day, we just could’ve been better with the new ball.”
Rana will have more opportunities in the coming sessions to justify the growing excitement surrounding him. For now, Tait’s measured tone serves as a timely reminder: the path to becoming a premier fast bowler is a process, not a sprint.