Speedstar Rana doesn’t aim to break Shoaib Akhtar’s record
|| CF DESK ||
In Shoaib Akhtar's hometown Rawalpindi, pacer Nahid Rana bowled a delivery at 152 km/h, the fastest ball ever bowled by a Bangladeshi. Pakistani legend's record of 161.3 km/h is still unbeaten, however, Rana stated that he isn’t aiming to bowl at that pace now.
"I don’t have any desire to be the fastest bowler. My only goal is to stay fit and bowl according to the team's plan. I want to meet the team's needs," Rana said today after returning from India's tour.
Rana took six wickets in the two Tests against Pakistan and claimed two wickets in the Chennai Test during the India tour, though he didn’t play in Kanpur.
When asked if he received any advice from India's premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah or about the difference between Indian and Pakistani pitches, Rana shared his experience.
"Bumrah said I put in a great effort and bowled well. Apart from that, I didn’t have much of a conversation with the Indian players. Pakistan’s pitches are different from India’s. I followed different plans for both, and, Alhamdulillah, the experience was good. This experience will help in future matches," Rana added.
At just 22 years old, Rana is eager to keep learning and developing as a pacer.
"India's pitch supported fast bowlers for the first two days and helped spinners in the last three days. Pakistan had more sporting wickets where good batting or bowling would yield results. In international cricket, there's always something to learn, and even after retirement, there will be learning. I'm currently focused on learning as much as I can from my coach," added the young pacer.