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I have worked on my death bowling: Marufa
Young pacer Marufa Akter maybe still young in international cricket, but she has already become the leader of Bangladesh’s pace attack and the standard-bearer when it comes to fitness and work ethics, according to teammates and coaches. Before departing for Sri Lanka to play in her first Women’s T20 Asia Cup, Marufa had a conversation with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan where she spoke about her preparation and expectation in the regional meet. Here are the excerpts:
The Daily Star (DS): This will be your first Asia Cup and your first tour to Sri Lanka. How excited are you?
Marufa Akter (MA): Last year, I couldn’t go to Sri Lanka for a bilateral series due to my board exam. It feels great that I’m going this time. We have won the tournament before. So, our target will be the same; winning the tournament.
DS: You had a decent Women’s Dhaka Premier League (WDPL) campaign for BKSP where you took 13 wickets and then were part of the national team’s two-week-long residential camp in BKSP. How do rate your preparation for the Asia Cup?
MA: The preparation has been good. The most important thing for me is that I’ve remained fit. I had a decent Premier League this year. Then, we also had a good camp at the BKSP. We played quite a few practice matches and the camp ended well. So, overall, I can say that all of us are in a good shape.
DS: Bangladesh were outplayed in the home series against Australia and India. Your performances were also not up to the mark. What have you done in the months since then to overcome that bad patch?
MA: More than anything, I practiced spot bowling during this period. I also worked on adding more variations so that I have more options to deceive the batters.
DS: Can you be more specific?
MA: I can bowl well with the new ball. But I struggle to control my line and length during the death overs. During this camp, I worked with the old ball. I tried slower deliveries and yorker. Now, I’m feeling very comfortable with my death bowling.
DS: Did you work with any particular coach for this?
MA: I worked with Shiblu sir [Robiul Islam]. He worked with us during our camp in BKSP. I worked under him for two weeks. He taught me different variations. It was a great experience for me.
DS: In a very short time, you have become the leader of Bangladesh’s pace attack. What will be yours and the Bangladesh pace attacks’ plan in Sri Lanka?
MA: The wickets in the sub-continent almost always favour the spinners. We have made a plan to bowl according to the wicket. Our coach [Shiblu sir] has worked with us on bowling variations. We will try to bowl what he taught us.
DS: Over the years, batting has almost always been a big issue in big tournaments for Bangladesh. Have the batters done anything specific in the camp to ensure that it they don’t let the team down in Sri Lanka?
MA: I think all of our batters worked really hard in the camp. I’m very optimistic that our batters will be able to provide decent performances in the tournament.
DS: We will be hosting ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in couple of months’ time. How do you see the team’s preparation leading up to the World Cup? Will there be an extra pressure as hosts?
MA: If you plan step by step, I think everything becomes easier. I don’t think there will be any pressure. The team will get great support from the home fans.