Nijat Masood became the 22nd player in Test cricket history to take a wicket in the first ball of his career. But he was the first Afghan player to do so when he got rid of Bangladeshi opener Zakir Hossain during their one-off Test match on Wednesday. Later in the innings he also got five-for and became the only second Afghani to achieve the feat in debut after Amir Hamza. His side may not yield a great results in the ongoing match but Masood has already made it a memorable one for him. Prothom Alo’s Tarek Mahmud discussed with him over phone after the end of day’s play on Thursday.
You got five-for on debut? How's the feeling?
Thanks to Allah. I felt very good. Not everyone gets five-for on debut. I enjoyed the bowling a lot. The wicket was also good.
The green wicket of Mirpur must have helped you. Did you expect such a wicket in Bangladesh?
The wicket was good. But yesterday (Wednesday) it was extremely hot. We are not accustomed to such weather. But today (Thursday) the weather was better as it was not that hot.
Q :
Before this match you took 83 wickets from 25 matches in first-class cricket. That experience must have helped.
Of course. You cannot play Test cricket without the experience of first-class cricket. That experience also helped me. The experience of playing in the long format helps in all formats. It is more useful in Tests.
You took five wickets in this Test. Did the Mushfiqur Rahim wicket give you the most satisfaction? Mushfiq is an experienced batter; the ball was sublime…
Mushfiqur Rahim is a great player of Bangladesh. He has massive experience. He has the experience of almost 100 (86) Tests. He has been playing for many years in all the formats and has played many great knocks. Taking the wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim is a matter of huge pride for me.
Q :
Your success effaced the absence of Rashid Khan. Were you mentally ready to take extra responsibility?
Of course, the absence of experienced campaigners always brings the chances for new ones to prove themselves. Coach, captain- everyone had faith in me. They told me, you can do well. You have a great record in first-class cricket. You show your talent and ability here. These words inspired me and helped me take five wickets. Everyone in the team supported me.
You became part of the history by taking a wicket in the first ball of your career. You are the first Afghan bowler to do so. What was your reaction?
It was beyond my expectations. You may say, it was the will of Allah. Taking a wicket in the first ball of a debut match is a huge thing for a bowler. A huge achievement. This inspired me to bowl well later in the innings.
Q :
Afghanistan is getting very few chances of playing Tests. Do you regret it? Do you think while playing the debut match that it would be better had you get the opportunities of playing more Test matches?
Of course, we do not get many chances of playing Test matches. We play T20 and ODI more. If we get more chances in Tests, the boys would be more experienced and that would help them become better players.