Known primarily for his bowling, Mymensingh Division’s Abu Hider Rony produced a sensational batting display in this year’s National Cricket League (NCL), amassing 421 runs in just seven innings at an average of 105.25. The 29-year-old smashed 32 sixes, struck two centuries, and maintained a staggering strike rate of 116.94 alongside taking 12 wickets. In an interview with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan, Rony spoke about his journey to rebuilding himself as a pace-bowling all-rounder, and his plans ahead. The excerpts are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): Your performance with the bat was outstanding in this year’s NCL. How did it come about?

Abu Hider Rony (AHR): Over the last three or four years in red-ball cricket, especially in NCL and BCL [Bangladesh Cricket League], things have been going well for me with the bat. I didn’t start the season thinking I would score two centuries, but I did plan to get big runs this year. I was even telling my teammates before the tournament began that a century would come this year.

DS: You bat quite low in the order and often without recognised batters around you. Did that push you into playing more attacking cricket?

AHR: I batted at No.8 this time, which means I usually walk in with only the bowlers left. What often happened was that when I reached 30 or 40 and started settling in, the main batter at the other end would get out. Then I had to score the remaining runs with the tail. That made me think differently. In previous years, I had a few fifties but never converted them into hundreds. So, this year I planned to face as many balls as possible if there is no recognised batter with me at the crease. My approach was simple: if the ball is in my zone, I will hit it, whether it’s the first ball or the last.

DS: You’ve been part of many understudy teams but have been out of the Bangladesh team for around eight years. Why is that?

AHR: Selection is entirely up to the management. My job is to keep trying. Of course, everyone has shortcomings. My batting is good now, but sometimes my bowling fluctuates. If you assess me purely as a pacer, I would need to perform really well as I’m competing with the current national team pacers, who have performed extremely well in the last few years. But I see myself as an all-rounder, and I’m trying to perform in that role.

DS: So, you’re trying to establish yourself as an all-rounder to return to the national team?

AHR: Absolutely. After I was dropped from the national team in 2018, many pacers have come through and have done brilliantly. That made me realise that if I wanted to survive at the top level, I had to improve my batting. I had never seriously thought about elevating myself as a batter before, but circumstances pushed me to do it. Now I’m much more mature and confident. Today, I can genuinely call myself a pace-bowling all-rounder.

DS: At 29, how confident are you about making a national comeback?

AHR: Many from my batch are representing the national team. Definitely, the plan is to make a comeback. Things are going well, and I’ll continue pushing myself.