Even if I perform badly, I know I can bounce back - Nahida Akter

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Nahida Akter is considered as the leader of their bowling attack for her consistent performances. The vice-captain of the team for the ongoing women's World Cup is also the team's leading wicket-taker in ODIs with 71 wickets in 56 games. In an exclusive chat with Cricbuzz, Nahida spoke about her childhood journey along with her bowling philosophy in different situations. Excerpts:

Can you tell us about your cricketing journey?

Initially, I did not learn cricket professionally. I learnt cricket professionally for the first time in Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP). Here my journey with the cricket ball started. When I was at home, I used to play with my elder brothers. I am from Kishoreganj, but I grew up in Mirpur, Dhaka. My father is in a government job in Dhaka, that's why we live here. We live in a residential area. So, after the school hours, I used to play with my elder brothers in the afternoon. But I never thought of playing cricket as a profession. I used to play whatever others played. But I always had a passion for cricket. I always tried to watch the matches of the Bangladesh team. When I saw in the newspaper that BKSP is going to take women cricketers in 2011-12 - the time when I started understanding cricket, but didn't know how to play it professionally - I collected all the information, went for trial and got admission in BKSP. That's how my journey started.

Was it easy to convince your family?

I used to be engaged in playing whenever I got time after the school hours. Sometimes, I went to play even bunking off school, and so there were complaints from the school. I used to play cricket most of the time as my brothers played it mostly. I was a batter then and used to chuck as I could not spin my hand. There used to be short-pitch cricket with tape-tennis ball. So, there were complaints from school and surroundings why I am playing. Sometimes they used to pressurise my family. I was always heard of as Salma Apu (Salma Khatun - former Bangladesh cricketer). My elder brothers of the locality tried to convince my parents - especially my mother. The brothers said to my mother , "Aunty, get her admitted to a club. She has the potential to do a lot, or even she can be the next Salma."

Hearing Salma Apu's name so much, the belief grew in me to be Salma. I had the dream to see Salma Apu and know her. The family did not provide the support to me, but I used to play, mostly by my force. When they saw that I am showing too much interest in cricket and they could not restrict it and later they decided to let me attend the trial for BKSP. I got a chance in BKSP after my first trial - I don't know whether as a batter or not, because I used to do both batting and bowling, but I bowled with chucking. That's how my journey started in 2013.

There were many other coaches who supported me. Especially under Dolly Dey's supervision, under whom my bowling journey started . When I got admitted in BKSP, I loved batting. I could not bowl while spinning my hand. Then she taught me to bowl with great care. I used to get irritated why she wanted to teach me bowling as I did not want to do it. Then, our cricket coach Mehedi Sir, who always supported me mentally, said, "You can do something great if you want." So, he supported me a lot. Especially when Dolly ma'am went to USA, after that, I mainly practiced with Mehedi Sir who continued to encourage me. Other BKSP coaches also supported me a lot. But mainly, those two were main people to teach me how to bowl.

When did you believe that you have what it takes to be a cricketer?

When I came here leaving my family, I had a target that if I could not do something great, my family would not allow me further to play cricket. Maybe then I had to go to other professions, maybe I had to study. So, I had the persistence to do something great. I knew, if I could go to the national level from here, maybe the next path will be easy for me to do anything. I always kept it at my back of the mind while practicing. I got admission in BKSP in 2013. After one year, in 2014, I got the opportunity to play in Premier League for BKSP. The first match was against Abahani and I got five wickets in that match. In that match, my coach Dey fasted (uposh) for me as she was Hindu by religion.

When I played my first match with a cricket ball, Shupta Apu (Sharmin Sultana) was very senior to me at that moment, I was the most junior player. She used to direct me with gestures from beside the sight screen and from wherever else she could. So, in my first cricket match, I got five wickets. That is how my journey began. At the later part of 2014, I got a call up in the national team camp.

Meanwhile, I had my JSC examination. I took leave for my examination, and then joined the camp again. I could not think that they would call me for the second time, as I left for the exam and was supposed to come again after performing. So, I had only one thing in my head, "I have to perform." In 2015, when Bangladesh were going to Pakistan, I did not have any hint to get a call up. I used to practice on my own. Coach Gamagi sir taught me a lot of things. Since I joined the national team camp, Salma Apu was my guardian and she taught me a lot. She taught me how to talk and behave to elders, how to improve in cricket, everything.

Many feel that you are mentally very tough? Can you explain it elaborately?

You will not be able to perform every day. Every day will not be same, there will be ups and downs. But I think to myself that if I have negative mindset, if I keep thinking, "O Allah, I have conceded 70 runs from 10 overs, what will I do tomorrow?" it will be in my brain. It will in the back of my mind that I have conceded 70 runs and what will I do next. When we keep thinking what to do next, we cannot find out the positive side. I always think, even if I perform bad, I will be able to bounce back.

I know, in cricket, every day you cannot score a hundred or take a fifer. You have to admit that. But it is more important whether you are doing what is important to get a fifer, whether you are practicing easy or hard. If you keep bowling against bowlers, get wickets in every delivery and think that you are bowling well, that will not be correct. How much you perform against good batters, how positive you are thinking, that mindset is important for the main matches.

Even in personal life, if you are not mentally strong, you will not be able to proceed. Bad days will come, but you have to think whether you can overcome that quickly or not. I think, we keep the negative things in our brain for the maximum time. We think in a negative way. That's why our performance goes downwards but if we think about the positive outcomes, how to recover from a bad day it is much more helpful; and I always try to think that way.

Suppose you are hit for a six, two four and a four in the first three balls of your over. What will your mindset be while bowling the fourth ball?

I will go with a defensive field set up and an attacking mindset. The batter is in a flow then. She thinks that as the bowler has conceded 12 already, she may bowl more bad balls. So, she may think a lot of things. On the other hand, I think that I have one or two balls in my hand. I have six chances total in an over, but the batter has only one chance. As I have already bowled three, before the fourth ball, I want to read the batter's mind quickly, and observe her movement to guess what she wants to do. Then, according to that, I try to bowl.

When a batter is batting in a defensive mindset, how do you read her mind and what options do you take?

When I see that the batter doesn't want to hit me, or is batting defensively, I try to shift her to attacking mood. I bowl two or three deliveries to her and try to observe her movements, whether she wants to hit me or not. If I find out that she is in defensive mood, then I try to tempt her so that she tries to hit me and I have the wicket-taking option. Otherwise, I will not get the chance.

I always like to bowl attacking, in any opponents. I think, when I bowl attacking, my mindset will become attacking as well. I won't go defensive then. And if I bowl defensive, my mindset will be defensive also. Then I will think that if I concede 30 runs from 10 overs, I am safe. But I never think about it. I may concede 70 or 50, but the most important thing is, whether I can have the impact or not, whether I can break the partnership when it reaches 50 or 60-run-mark. If I can take a wicket at that time, the team will be benefitted. I always keep it in mind.

What are your options when the day is not going your way?

Of course, the day may not be yours, but you should have options. You need to bowl 10 overs. You are playing as a bowler, and if you cannot complete the 10-over-quota, then it becomes an added pressure for the captain as she needs to use optional bowlers. So, it hampers the team as the optional bowler may not take wickets and concede runs.

Sometimes, I may not do well in the first five-six overs. But when I come to the dressing room for any reason, I think positively that I have five overs in my hand and I have to do something in the remaining overs. Then I come to the ground with many plans - as they have played me in the first five overs in this way, what I should do in the next five overs. In international matches, I ask the analyst what my shortcomings are, whether I am bowling short balls or not. Then I try to know and apply on the field from the beginning."

Can you tell us about your arm ball?

It is my wicket-taking option. I don't always bowl it. I bowl it understanding the batters, whether she is defensive or attacking. When I see the batter playing defensive, and going for singles rather than boundaries, then - though it is my secret - I bowl two or three normal deliveries to him/ her, and then try an arm ball as a wicket-taking option. I know that the arm ball will give me wickets, so I bowl it with great confidence. Maybe sometimes I don't get wickets, but still, I bowl with much confidence. I think that it is my weapon and I can do many things with it. I always have it in mind."

How important is pace variation for a spinner?

In modern cricket, you need pace variation in your bowling. Spin often depends on the pitch, but the pace variation depends on the batters. Sometimes, some batters struggle to bat on back foot and then if I bowl pace-off deliveries or bowl slowly or quickly, then it becomes difficult for the batters. Some batters may struggle on the front foot. If I bowl slowly, she may try many things and wicket-taking chances will arrive. During slog overs, pace variation is very important. You must have pace variation in slog overs. If you bowl according to your normal strength, you will never be successful, so you must variety your pace. You need it.

What about your batting?

I have been working on my batting recently with the batting coach. When I go to bat, if I can score 20-25 runs for the team, the team and myself will be benefitted. When I go to the crease, there is a set batter. If I can bat with the set batter, she will get confidence and trust me. So, my mindset has changed that when I will go to bat, I try to contribute. I have been working on this for the last few days. I believe, the way I am working, if I can bat properly, I will do something good for the team.

Enjoying the vice-captain's role?

As a vice-captain, I don't need to perform so many responsibilities. A captain has many thoughts on and off the field. She has many roles to play. So, it is not possible to be cool always on the field, as per the situation demands. So, if the vice-captain is calm there, the moment can be kept alright. The captain will also get support and the players will get motivated. If the captain fails, I, as a vice captain, go and support her, "I am here. I am helping you. You carry on your job." That's the one important role the vice-captain plays to support the captain."

You are the leader of the spin attack?

All bowlers in the team are leaders, I think. Everyone has that capability. Fahima Apu [Fahima Khatun] has been playing in the national team for a long time. She is a very senior player. So, she has that capability. I am hopeful that we, the spin group, will be able to turn the match on the spin-friendly pitches of India. I believe that we will be able to dominate like before. I don't know whether we will be successful or not.

Whenever we, the spinners, talk on or off the field, we always have a target that whoever has the day must be supported. For example, today is Rabeya's day. Our target is to push her to do a little better. We always try it. That's how our success arrives. Let's say, Rabeya or Fahima Apu is doing well, we consider that as our success. We feel that it is our success because we had efforts as a team. I think, the group we have, if we can bowl well and execute what we are working on for the last few months, our spin group can do well.