Speaking at a press conference in Mirpur on Wednesday, New Zealand head coach Rob Walter lauded the young speedster, calling him an exciting fast-bowling prospect.
“He is a very good fast bowler. The conditions here will assist him. It’s great to see Bangladesh producing a fast bowler like him,” Walter said.
Addressing the challenge of facing Rana’s pace, regularly exceeding 140 km/h Walter added, “We are not underestimating his quality at all. As I mentioned, they have some very good fast bowlers. But facing pace isn’t new for us; we deal with it regularly and have pacers in our own squad. It’s about executing well during the match. Conditions might be different, but we need to rely on our skills to handle him.”
At the same media interaction, Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons highlighted Rana as a key weapon for the hosts.
“Nahid Rana is one of our trump cards. We need to protect him and ensure he stays fit. Managing his workload is important so that he can continue giving his best for Bangladesh,” Simmons said.
