Bangladesh's 22-year-old pace sensation Nahid Rana has sharply come into focus for his raw pace, which has availed him an opportunity to compete in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The speedster has been given a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the cricket board for PSL after the first Test against Zimbabwe and while PSL beckons, Rana's ambition lay in Test cricket which he divulged during an interview with The Daily Star's Abdullah Al Mehdi yesterday. Here are the excerpts:

The Daily Star (DS): You have just come back after the Eid festivities. On social media, you had poked fun at Shoriful Islam's fishing technique during the Eid break, did you get to do the things you love during the vacation as well?

Nahid Rana (NR): It was good to see everyone in Eid. Since I grew up in a village, I have seen these kinds of things [fishing and climbing trees] from a very young age. I was just pulling his leg as he [Shoriful] is my elder and we are students of the same coach. But I wasn't able to do the things I used to do five-six years ago. Now, I have to think of a lot before doing anything and maintain discipline.

DS: How do you assess your first PSL opportunity?

NR: For me every game is important. What I want to try and do is to use the experience I had gathered previously [from Bangladesh's Test series in Pakistan last year]. I want to learn from whatever mistake I make over there and to work on them further after returning to Bangladesh.

DS: What are your plans in Test cricket since it's the format you started in?

NR: My plan is that I will retire from all the other formats before I take my bow from Tests. It's the last format I want to retire from because if I can do that then my fitness would be good along with other aspects of my bowling. If I can play Test cricket for a long time, it would be good for me and for the country. Out of the three formats, it's the most prestigious. So, as long as I am fit and able to play, I will continue playing Tests.

DS: Has James Anderson or anyone else inspired you to think like this?

NR: Actually, my situation is not completely similar to Anderson's because the weather there is very different to ours. There will be many scenarios unfolding in future and I don't want to think too far ahead. Instead, I am staying in the present. For example, right now I am thinking about what I would do if I get to play against Zimbabwe and preparing accordingly.

DS: When you hit 152 kph at Rawalpindi, was it a surprise for you? Is there a speed you aspire to hit?

NR: Pace is never a surprise for me because I have been working hard, maintaining myself and eating properly. Rather than being surprised, I feel that anything can happen at any time [pace-wise].

I don't want to be like anyone else or break someone's record. What I want is to create my own records. As far as a wish or an aspiration goes, there is nothing bigger than winning a major trophy for the team.

DS: Is your run-up the key behind your pace?

NR: While growing up, I always felt I was quick. But I mostly played with taped tennis balls back then. When I started playing with a cricket ball near the end of 2019, slowly things started to improve. I was so excited when I got a cricket ball in my hand for the first time as before I had only seen it on TV. It was a little heavier. I feel the smooth run-up and the jump generates the pace for me and when those things click, my wrist position automatically zones in.