The landscape of professional cricket has changed dramatically since the last decade and support staff is one of the most important factors to ensure a team’s success. It’s almost impossible to think a team without a bowling coach and so it did not come as a surprise when Bangladesh fast bowler Rubel Hossain asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to appoint a bowling coach for the team as soon as possible. Bangladesh are without a bowling coach after former Zimbabwe bowler Heath Streak resigned from the position in May this year.

“We really need a bowling coach,” Rubel said on Monday (August 1). “We can learn new things from him. We are professional cricketers who have picked up things from different coaches and there’s no end to learning. When I am trying something new in the nets, a coach has much impact with his tips.”

Meanwhile, former Pakistani pacer Aaqib Javed, who turned down an offer from Bangladesh in June this year, is in Bangladesh for a seven-day stint as fast bowling consultant at the High-Performance camp in Dhaka.

Expressing his excitement to work with Javed, Hossain said: “Pakistani bowlers are really skillful when it comes to swinging the ball, especially reverse swing. So there’s a lot to learn from him.”

The right-arm pacer is currently preparing to make a comeback to the game after being out of action since the Bangladesh A tour of India last year. He missed the Asia Cup and World T20 earlier this year due to the injury.

“I am working hard to keep my strength – bowling fast and yorkers – in its place,” he revealed. “I am trying to return to my old pace though it hasn’t really gone down too much during the Dhaka Premier League.

“I have been working on a different type of delivery for a long time in training. I basically hold the ball between my fingers and deliver it. The ball is supposed to slow down after pitching. If I can deliver it properly, it will be quite successful. I really want to add a few variations to my bowling because I can only bowl fast.”