Will Young was among the more experienced players in an otherwise inexperienced New Zealand ODI squad that suffered a 2-1 defeat in the recently concluded three-match series against hosts Bangladesh. Arriving in the country after a successful tour of India, Young and his side encountered tougher batting conditions and a hostile pace attack. The New Zealand number three spoke about the conditions, Bangladesh’s bowling threats, and more in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star’s Abdullah Al Mehdi . The excerpts are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): How good was Nahid Rana in the ODI series?

Will Young (WY): He’s got the tools to be a great bowler -- consistently around 150kph, even in this heat. He moves the ball in the air as well and gets good bounce. So, he’s got plenty of attributes there that suggest that he’s going to be a really good bowler for many years.

DS: Are Bangladesh more threatening in these conditions or in pace-friendly wickets?

WY: It’s tough to say because we haven’t faced this attack in New Zealand. But they’re clearly building towards the 2027 ODI World Cup. South African conditions might be closer to New Zealand’s, and their balance looks good. With some pace in the wickets, they could be a real threat -- and they certainly are in this [white-ball] series.

DS: You played when Bangladesh recorded their most famous Test win at Mount Maunganui. What was that like?

WY: I got fifties in both innings [laughs]. Ebadot [Hossain] took six in the second innings. The conditions weren’t what we expected -- it was very hot. We had four seamers and Rachin [Ravindra] was our only spinner. It was disappointing, but it serves as a reminder to better assess conditions and pick a balanced side that can adapt to different conditions.

DS: Winning the World Test Championship -- how significant was it?

WY: It meant a lot. It was early in my career, but I was in the squad in Southampton. I suppose the likes of Tim [Southee], Trent [Boult] and Wags [Neil Wagner] in that bowling attack, along with batters like Kane [Williamson] and Rosco [Ross Taylor]… they’ve played so much cricket together, and it culminated in winning that World Test Championship. it was thoroughly deserved.

DS: Ricky Ponting spoke about New Zealand’s close-knit cricket community. Your thoughts?

WY: I hadn’t heard that, but we have six domestic teams, only 16 contracted cricketers per team in the domestic circuit, and 20 contracted national players. So, there are about 120 professional cricketers in New Zealand. There’s a lot of information sharing, healthy competition, and strong relationships. Players also bring experience back from franchise cricket, which helps the whole system grow.

**Read full interview on The Daily Star’s website