Ramesh Powar is my bowling idol, found his action comforting: Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the Bangladesh cricketer, has named former Indian spinner Ramesh Powar as his bowling idol. In his career, Powar played only a couple of Tests and 31 ODIs, picking up six and 34 wickets respectively. He also served as the coach of the Indian women’s team and made an exit after an ugly spat with Mithali Raj following the 2018 World T20 in the West Indies.

As far as Miraz is concerned, he faced troubles with his action from a young age. He tried out many, but wasn’t finding comfort in any of them. But when he saw a burly Powar roll his arm over, he found a way of solving the riddle of his bowling action.

“Ramesh Powar is my bowling idol. When I started practicing at young age, I used to bowl in different actions. I couldn’t find comfort in bowling in different actions,” Miraz was quoted as saying to BDcrictime on Eid.

I saw that I was bowling very well: Mehidy Hasan Miraz

“One day while watching a match of India, Powar came to bowl. He was quite fat then. There was quite a bit of turn in his bowling. I found his action very nice. I was thinking- so fat people, managed to bowl in such good place of the wicket with much turn. So, let’s try to bowl like him,” he stated.

Once he started with the action, he got a significant amount of turn from the surfaces. In the start, the action was similar to that of Powar, but of late it has changed a wee bit, as per Miraz, if not a whole lot.

“I went to the field and started trying Powar’s action. I saw that I was bowling very well. The ball is falling in a good place in the wicket and it’s also turning. I thought, from now on, I will bowl with that action. At first, the action was similar with him [Powar] but now maybe something has changed,” Miraz added.

The 22-year-old Miraz has thus far played 22 Tests, 41 ODIs and 13 T20Is, picking 90, 40 and four wickets respectively. He also has three half-centuries, showing that he is no mug with the bat in hand.