Bangladesh left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam is generally known for operating at a moderate pace of around 130 to 135 km/h. His usual method is to work from around the wicket to right handers, swinging the white Kookaburra away after pitching it on a good length. He typically targets the off stump and fifth-stump line, looking for edges into the slip cordon and forcing batters to play with hard hands through point or gully.
On Friday, however, Shoriful introduced a subtle but telling tactical tweak in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League. Against Dhaka Capitals, he was noticeably quicker than he had been in his previous two matches. Along with the added pace, he also adjusted his pitching length, pulling it slightly back from his traditional good length to focus more on the back of a length.
This combination of extra pace and a harder length made him far more threatening, particularly in the powerplay, where Shoriful thrives with the new ball by hitting the deck hard.
In the tournament opener for Chattogram against Noakhali Express, Shoriful had already shown his value with a superb spell of 3-0-14-2. However, in the following match against Rangpur Riders, arguably the strongest side in the competition, he was used for only two overs and finished wicketless for 16 runs as Rangpur cruised to victory easily.
In both of those games, Shoriful was not generating the same level of pace and was consistently pitching the ball on a fuller good length, which allowed batters to line him up more comfortably.
By the third match against Dhaka, Shoriful appeared to have taken note and adjusted his approach accordingly. He executed the revised plan with precision, finishing with excellent figures of 4-0-18-3, including 16 dot balls, as Dhaka were restricted to just 122. Chattogram Royals then wrapped up the chase comfortably by 10 wickets, courtesy of twin half-centuries from Naim Sheikh and Adam Rossington.
Handed the new ball in the very first over, Shoriful needed only six deliveries to make an impact. On the final ball of that over, Saif Hassan attempted to take on a 135 plus km/h good length delivery, trying to scoop it over fine leg as the powerplay was in effect. The extra pace rushed Saif, leading to his LBW dismissal and immediately underlining the effectiveness of Shoriful’s adjusted method.
He repeated the same theme towards the end of his first spell. Zubaid Akbari tried to slog a back of a length delivery that clocked 138.3 km/h over the leg side. Instead of clearing the boundary, he only managed a thick edge that carried through to Mukidul Islam Mugdho at deep third man. Shoriful completed his first spell with figures of 3-0-10-2, having firmly put Dhaka on the back foot.
Later, he returned with the old ball during the death overs and again showed the value of variation alongside pace and length. This time, he tested Nasir Hossain with a well-disguised slower ball that pitched on a short of length. Nasir went for the pull shot, looking to clear the leg-side boundary, but ended up offering a catch to Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who took a sharp diving catch to complete Shoriful’s third wicket.
At its core, Shoriful’s bowling theory remained simple but effective. He challenged batters either with extra pace or with a demanding length that forced hurried decisions. The slight increase in speed and the shift towards a back of a length transformed him into a far more incisive bowler, especially with the new ball.
Adam Rossington, who watched Shoriful’s spell from behind the stumps throughout the innings, summed it up in the post-match press conference. “He bowled brilliantly. A lot of pace, a lot of late swing and good carry through to me. So he was excellent. On another day he could have had a few more wickets.”
