||CF Correspondent||

Bangladesh’s former head coach Khaled Mahmud insisted that while their fast-bowling unit does have fearsome pace compared to their Kiwis counterpart the surface is not assisting them either as it is not gripping the ball like the way it does at their own backyard.

Conditions in New Zealand have been ideal for the fast bowlers because it helps the fast bowlers due to the weather and condition unlike the surface in the subcontinent where wickets are mostly dry and that cuts down the pace even for express fast bowlers.

Host won both the ODI’s at Napier and Oval and it clearly reflected that the difference in pace between the bowlers of Bangladesh and New Zealand played a vital role in deciding the outcome of the result. The home side, with bowlers like of Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry took a toll on the Bangladesh batsman with their sheer pace and seam movement.

The average speed of Trent Boult was close to 140 km/h while Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry bowled around 144 km/h and 137 km/h respectively on an average and they became even more unplayable due to their swing and seam movement.

On the other hand, Mustafizur Rahman's averaged around 133 km/h while Mohammad Saifuddin and skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza bowled around 129 km/h and 126 km/h respectively while they failed to exploit the condition largely due to the fact the wicket was not gripping that barred them from coming up with their deadly cutters.

“I think there is a huge difference in pace between both the sides. But more than anything else the ball is not gripping in that surface and that is making difficult for our pace bowlers as they are unable to get their cutters right,’’ Mahmud told reporters while analyzing the defeat.

“The ball is skidding instead of gripping and that is a huge difference for us to adapt because in our wicket the ball does not skid that often rather the wicket tends to grip and we are used to playing in such condition,’’ said Mahmud.

Mahmud said that he feels that Tigers are playing with a bowler short and insisted it would have been interesting if they could see how Rubel Hossain fares in those conditions considering he got the raw pace like some of the New Zealanders.

“We are missing Rubel and his pace. If we have a fast bowler, we may do well there. Also, the wicket becomes easier and more flat in the second half,’’ said Mahmud adding that lady luck also did not seem to be smiling on the Tigers.

“We were a little bit unlucky the second match. We lost the toss. If we won the toss, we would have bowled that day. The condition was quite a lot dumpy,’’ he said.

There was also overcast. Bowlers might get some advantages. I think that the wicket becomes better in the second half there [in New Zealand].  And the morning is always humid.  The New Zealand bowlers have successfully used it,’’ he said. “Our top order did not do well in last two matches; it is not a big deal. But, our middle order returned amazingly; we may take it as a positive note,’’ Mahmud said.