Playing a senior role, adapting his style and developing his game are targets for young spinner Hamidullah Qadri as he prepares for an all-format tour of Bangladesh with the Young Lions.
The 18-year-old has become somewhat of a regular in England development squads and as recently as December he was in India working with former England and Kent slow left-armer, Min Patel.
Qadri believes the experience of playing on sub-continent pitches was good for his technical development, but also for learning more about the mental side of the game.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to it and obviously Bangladesh will have spinning pitches so I’m hoping to play a big part and take wickets for the team. I’ll be one of the senior players so I’m looking to lead the attack on the spin side.
“I learned a lot out in India working with Min Patel – learning about how to bowl on slow wickets and spinning wickets.
“It was all about the mental side, how you deal with it and I learned a lot.”
The tour begins with an international T20 on Sunday 27 January, before the Young Lions compete in three ODIs and two Tests.
Playing across all formats in a condensed schedule is new to Qadri, but it’s a challenge he’s looking forward to as preparation for a busy summer with Derbyshire.
He added: “The best players in the world adapt very quickly to what they are given, so for me it’s about understanding my game and how I adapt to certain situations.
“Out there I don’t think you’ll need too many changes in skills, but it’s more about little tweaks here and there.
“One major development that I would like to improve is how do I bowl on wickets that aren’t going to turn – that’s a big point for me in future development.
“I’m not looking ahead too much, when I enjoy cricket I play better, so I just want to keep doing that and give 100% on the field and in training.
“I never set goals in terms of taking wickets or getting runs. For me I like to go into a net, do what I need to do, focusing on either the tactical or technical side and then from there the game will take care of itself.”
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