A question of self-belief

At 32, it is unlikely that Habibul Bashar will ever set the world alight

Wisden CricInfo Exclusive by Nagraj Gollapudi03-Sep-2003At 32, it is unlikely that Habibul Bashar will ever set the world alight. But for the time being he is providing a ray of hope every time he goes out to bat for Bangladesh. With 376 runs already in the series against Pakistan, Bashar has earned his team some long-overdue respect.In an exclusive with Wisden CricInfo, Bashar spoke to Nagraj Gollapudi about his new-found self belief, and his evolution as a player.You seem to do well against Pakistan – one century and five fifties so far.

I don’t look at it that way at all. It’s just that I somehow ended up performing well against them.

But so far in this series you are the highest run-getter.

I have finally found the self-belief, which was not there previously. Before this series, I had this psychological block and was unable to convert my fifties into hundreds. But I can confidently say that block is no more, now that I’ve reached my second Test century.

So how did it feel after getting that century?

It was like a mountain off my shoulders. Throughout the previous night I was unable to sleep properly: I went to bed around midnight and suddenly woke up at three o’clock. I couldn’t settle down, always thinking about the century, which was just 18 runs away. But throughout this misery I was positive, telling myself that I would be able to break that barrier. I was very angry with myself for playing a rash shot when on 71 in the first innings, and my only aim then was to improve on that effort. My 97 at Peshawar showed that the Karachi effort wasn’t just a fluke, and I almost made another big one today, but got out in a casual fashion. [He made a valuable 72 in the third Test at Multan]Where did this self belief come from?

Our coach Dav Whatmore explained to me how important my role is as a senior player and batsman: the team’s batting relies on me and the youngsters in the team look to me to show them the direction. When I started playing I was like any other rookie batsman and I used to just swing the bat at anything. I still am not brilliant at restraining my aggression, but I am steadily learning to be patient and more focused on the job.So Whatmore really has made such a big impact in so short a time?

Yes, truly – in this short time – without really doing anything, he has contributed a lot. By that, I mean he doesn’t do anything special. He is never negative in what he says, and whatever’s on his mind, he gives it to us straight. He just wants us to perform from our hearts and his motivational words have given us this self belief. You would argue, why wasn’t this approach taken by the former men in charge? And it’s true – they never gave us that kind of belief. We were never confident enough to show the kind of intensity we are now showing on the field.How much progress do you think Bangladesh has made since acquiring Test status?

We are getting there, and with more experience and more games we’ll raise our standards further. And with the type of guys like Dav to lend a hand, I am confident Bangladesh will soon thrive and make real progress. When we first played Test cricket, the team consisted of a few oldies who were past their best, and no-one to give us proper guidance, so it was really difficult to make the desired growth quickly enough. However, at the moment there has been an infusion of raw talent, which needs time and proper nurturing if the individuals and team are to prosper. So there has been progress, even if it’s been minimal.

Does Bangladesh have a strong domestic structure in place to produce international talent?

Our structure is not perfect, but I would say we are getting there. The grounds – including the national stadium at Dhaka – are not up to global standards, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board is doing a great job and trying to help the players. So I feel it would take a few more years – two or three – for things to fall in the proper places.What about the pool of young talent: is it healthy or running dry?

I would like to cite an example. Before we were granted Test status there were about 100 youngsters watching cricket, but today there are thousands more watching the game. So for every hundred there may be one genuine talent, and likewise ten more for every thousand. Cricket is the most popular sport at the moment in Bangladesh and our good performances have given hope to young ones and parents alike in opting for the game. And I feel very happy about that.You’ve been in great positions in the first two Tests of this tour, only to throw it away. How can you change that?

As I said, most of the batsmen are still young and at an impressionable age. So it is very difficult for them to curb their impulses. They can only be cured as they gain experience. Also, for that to happen, a senior player like me has to lead by example.Doesn’t that mean that your captain, Khaled Mahmud, will be having a negative impact on the youngsters?

Yes, it does, but he [Mahmud] is just unable to get it right. However, I can tell you one thing – over the years, Mahmud has been liked by everyone in the dressing-room and he really is a good leader of men. Unfortunately he hasn’t produced the goods to back that up. The team understands that and we hope he gets in the groove soon.What about the bowlers – do they have the talent to claim 20 wickets in a Test?

You know we don’t have it at the moment, but there are youngsters who are showing the right kind of attitude to make inroads into the opposition. But I think we need a real match-winning spinner. Without that it is really difficult to take regular wickets.You’ve suffered 17 defeats in a row. Do you really have enough self belief to enter a Test match with a positive attitude?

Till now it wasn’t there, but the Australian series was like a watershed for Bangladesh cricket. Before that there was no direction to our game – we were just drifting along, but in reality we were drifting apart. However, Whatmore helped us just in time. Also, the Australian players gave us enough motivation by chatting to us and helping us improve our game. We were very touched by that kind of gesture coming from the best and toughest side in the world. That trip helped us tidy up our mistakes and we have done a fair job so far in Pakistan. But there’s lots more to do.