Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam revealed that his decision to travel to Australia earlier this year was mainly to take advantage of the conditions there and work on improving his batting approach, reports the Daily Sun.
Speaking to reporters after the second day of the first Test against Ireland at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, the 30-year-old left-hander explained that his trip was primarily about gaining experience rather than technical adjustments.
Shadman had travelled to Sydney for one-on-one training with former Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, paying around USD250 per hour in academy fees — a rare move for a Bangladeshi cricketer. His bold decision drew attention at the time, and the topic resurfaced during the post-match press conference in Sylhet.
“Basically, the main reason for going there was to use their conditions, like the pitch in Sydney. And there was no other facility or way to go there without him [Hathurusingha], which is why I went to him. But I didn't work on anything technical while there. I just talked with him about how to bat, how to get big runs, and how to change the game a bit. That's all; nothing else was worked on,” Shadman said.
When asked if he had any technical sessions facing local Australian pacers in the nets, Shadman clarified, “No, no, nothing like that happened. The maximum practice we did was indoors because the weather was a bit rainy, not sunny. So, we mostly batted indoors.”
Since the last West Indies series in November 2024, Shadman scored two fifties (64 against West Indies, and 76 vs Sri Lanka) and one hundred (120 against Zimbabwe). Against Ireland in the first innings, he scored 80 off 104 balls, with nine fours and one sixes.
Reflecting on his recent performances, he added, “Not getting a century always brings some regret. But Alhamdulillah, I am content with what God is giving me. I will try to convert it into a bigger one if I get set in such a position next time.”
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
