India are a role model in world cricket at its highest level, said former Bangladesh captain and the country’s first century-maker Aminul Islam.
“The world normally follows Australia in cricket, there’s nothing wrong in that. But if you see, India have been consistent. India can be a role model. They have been proving at the highest level,” he said.
According to Islam, India’s pace bowlers will have advantage with the pink ball in the day-night second test with India beginning in Kolkata next Friday.
Islam, Bangladesh’s first test centurion, said “the way we saw the variation of pace bowling by (Mohammed) Shami, Ishant (Sharma) and (Umesh) Yadav, they will get a lot of advantage with |
the pink ball. Wherever you play, you get that extra breeze in the evening. India will take a lot of advantage of that.”
He compared the current Indian fast bowlers with the West Indian pacemen of 1970s and 80s. They have their best bowling attack ever, it’s like the way the West Indians dominated the pace attack (in the world) at one point of time,” said Islam who scored 145 in Bangladesh’s very first test played in 2000 in Dhaka against India.
Reacting to Bangladesh’s abject defeat in the first test in Indore, Islam said “I hope Bangaldesh bounce back in the Kolkata test” and said Bangladesh showed in the second innings (of the first Test) that they have it in them to stage a fightback.”
On Bangladesh’s cricketing future, he said “we have already played 19 years of Test cricket. It’s high time Bangladesh find out which player is suited for which format. Nowadays, you need specialized player for a particular format. Bangladesh also need to focus more on the domestic cricket.”
Meanwhile, the countdown for India's second India-Bangladesh first-ever day/night Test in Kolkata where the pink ball would be used has begun with the city turning pink and Board of Control for Cricket in India President Sourav Ganguly unveiling 'Pinku-Tinku', the event's official mascots.
Ganguly was seen posing with the match ticket and the mascots at the Eden Gardens.
A giant pink balloon was also released at the Eden Gardens and it will be seen floating in the sky till the end of the historic India-Bangladesh Test.
Some of Kolkata’s key landmarks -- the Shahid Minar, the tallest building and some Kol kata Municipality Corporation
Parks -- were illuminated with pink lights.
