Nahid Rana’s pace bowling has taken the cricket world by storm. Seeing a Bangladeshi fast bowler consistently hitting such high speeds is still surprising for many. With his rapid rise, comparisons have naturally started and this time, he’s being compared to one of the greats, Waqar Younis.

Former Australian speedster Shaun Tait, who is now Bangladesh’s pace bowling coach, made this comparison. Tait himself was once among the fastest bowlers in the world.

According to Tait, Nahid is even fitter than he was during his playing days. He explained, “There’s a lot of similarities, there’s a few differences. He’s very fit, he’s fitter than I was – I was a bit heavier, it was a bit more difficult for me to bowl fast. It seems a little bit easier for him because he’s a great athlete, really lean and strong, he’s got a good build for a fast bowler which is why I have the confidence, especially in these conditions, it’s really hot. I’ve got a lot of confidence in his ability. I was a little bit different, I probably got a little bit more injured than him.”

Tait also mentioned that he himself was more prone to injuries compared to Nahid. What impressed him the most was Nahid’s deadly yorkers. He added, “What I really enjoyed about this series so far was the last match’s yorkers. That sort of brings back the days of Waqar Younis, you know, a fast bowler coming in, taking wickets at the top and then cleaning up the tail with fast yorkers, I love that. Personally I love that.”