'I never say no to any role given by the team'

Just months after his Under-19 World Cup exploits, Mehidy Hasan Miraz took the cricketing world by storm when he took 19 wickets in a historic Test series against England in 2016. Over the years, Miraz has been subject to many experiments but his sheer determination and willpower saw him cement his place as an all-rounder in the Bangladesh side across formats. 

Miraz has played mostly in Tests and ODIs, but has recently improved his T20 game and is now part of a select group of players to have an all-format central contract. Playing for Fortune Barishal, the 26-year-old cricketer has scored 119 runs at a strike-rate of 154.54 and 10 wickets at an economy rate of 6.80 and has been instrumental in their excellent run in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Miraz sat with The Business Standard (TBS) for an exclusive interview where he spoke about his evolution as a cricketer, his leadership, how he developed himself as an effective T20 player and much more.

Your team is just two wins away from being the champions for the first time. How has the journey been so far?

Alhamdulillah, so far so good. We were not in a good state initially, having lost three out of our first four matches. Then we started winning regularly. Now, a win in Qualifier 2 will see us make the final. Every match is challenging now because they are knockout games.

A word on your performance. 

To be honest, I haven't done as well as I would have liked with the bat. I failed to make runs in the few opportunities I was given at the top of the order. You cannot make big runs lower down, but little contributions make big differences there. I was able to do that in a few matches. I won a game with the bat against Khulna Tigers with a 15-ball-31. That was quite satisfying. I'm quite happy with my bowling. I may not have taken 20 wickets but I have done well economy-wise. I have been able to do what I want to do in T20s with the ball.

Have you been able to do what your team wants from you?

I am trying, giving my hundred percent. I am batting at seven according to the team's demand. They want me to have a go and make a quick 25 off 10 towards the end. With the ball, I am taking wickets. The team is happy with my performance. 

You blamed the slow run rate of the batters after a group game against Chattogram. You have a team full of senior star players. Was there any kind of reaction?

Not really. The team wants a lot from us. All our players are big-budget cricketers. We were losing continuously. Your reputation takes a hit when you lose like that. We are probably the most experienced side in the tournament. That's why I was a bit down. But now we have come to understand our roles. Now it's all about playing well.

How confident are you about playing the final?

Very confident. In fact I used to tell everyone in the team that we would play the final, even after losing three on the bounce. Sometimes it was all fun and games, but deep down we believed we could do it. Given the squad we have, it won't be a surprise if we become champions. 

Tamim Iqbal wanted you to build yourself as a leader in this BPL. How much have you learned?

I am always learning how to handle [tough] situations on the field by observing. I am enjoying the combination of Tamim bhai, Mushfiqur [Rahim] bhai and [Mahmudullah] Riyad bhai. I think the more I play, the more I will learn. 

Do you harbour a dream of leading the national team?

Who doesn't? But the thing is, the board will do what they feel is right. But it is a positive sign that new leaders are coming through. Now [Najmul Hossain] Shanto will be the captain. I wish him luck. He is my friend, colleague and we have played a lot together. I have spoken to him and we are determined to create a batch of players who will take the team to the next level. It's difficult for a captain if he doesn't get the support of his teammates. If we support Shanto, the job will be easier for him.

Shanto played under you in age-level cricket. You were an established performer when Shanto was still finding his feet in international cricket and now he is the all-format captain. Do you think you could have been in his place?

Look, it's completely the board's call. Shanto did well in the last few series and led the side briefly in the World Cup and then in the New Zealand series. The board felt he was the right man. At the end of the day, we are playing for the country and it's all about helping and supporting the guy who is leading us on the field. If such an opportunity comes my way, then I'll give it a thought, but not now.

Before taking over from Shakib, Shanto always said he was ready to lead. I am asking you the same question. Are you ready to lead Bangladesh in international cricket? 

You cannot name someone as captain just like that. The guy needs to have experience. If I speak about myself, I have now played international cricket for eight years and since I have captained in age-level cricket, I have the experience. So I am always prepared if my team needs me.

You used to play as a pure all-rounder in U-19 cricket. But at one point, you were reduced to a genuine bowler in the national team. Then you managed to establish yourself as an all-rounder again. How was that possible? 

I was handed a debut immediately after my U-19 stint was over. I did not play any A team cricket or much domestic cricket before that. So when I first batted in international cricket, I was not able to understand a lot of things. The difference between U-19 cricket and international cricket is huge. You can survive as a bowler but it is difficult for batters. I think an U-19 batter has to be mature enough before coming to international cricket. That's what happened with Towhid Hridoy. But I came into international cricket unprepared and I used to think I was a bowler. But I gradually realised I wouldn't survive with just one skill in international cricket. I had to work really hard to improve my batting. And I am happy with my batting performance over the last three-four years.

Your recent batting exploits suggest that you've worked on power hitting. What are the things that are important in power hitting?

I've worked specifically on my pull shot. Previously I used to get out in short balls but now I can hit sixes now. This was not done overnight. I had to work hard. I worked with [Mizanur Rahman] Babul Sir leading up to the Dhaka Premier League. He helped me correct a few things and that helped.

There have been a lot of experiments regarding your batting order. Does that put too much pressure on you? It happened a lot during the World Cup.

I never say no to any role given by the team. No one could force me if I said no. It was always me who put my hands up and I made good use of the opportunities. The change in the batting order has its pros and cons but I feel the team thinks the team feels I am capable. I don't blame anyone for the floating batting order in the World Cup. The coach and captain want what is best for the team. Sometimes it hurts a player's confidence but the team comes first always. 

You have finally established yourself as an automatic choice in Bangladesh's squads in all formats. How has the journey been?

You cannot establish yourself in all three formats at once. When I started out, I tried to cement my place in the Test team. Modern-day cricket requires a different skill set in different formats. I never really thought of playing ODIs and T20Is. But I also didn't want people to think that I was a Test player only. I think it all comes down to the mental make-up of players. 

Where do you rank yourself as a modern-day spinner?

I am not a wristspinner and I may not have many variations. I am aware of my limitations as a bowler. That's my strength as a bowler. I don't try to go out of my way and experiment. I try to make sure to maximise my ability. 

Translated by: AHM Nayeem