Exclusive: Tanvir Islam Embraces Old Action to Thrive in 50-Over Format

Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam is starting to reap the rewards of making technical adjustments to his bowling action, specifically to meet the demands of the 50-over format. According to Bangladesh Tigers head coach Sohel Islam, the changes have helped Tanvir rediscover confidence and clarity in his role as an ODI bowler.

Tanvir, who has been part of the Bangladesh setup across formats, had faced criticism over his recent performances in domestic cricket. Following a modest run in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), he began to question whether his longstanding bowling action was serving him effectively in different conditions and formats.

“Tanvir now understands his role in ODIs better than before,” said Sohel in an interview with SportsBoom.com. 

“He tried to change his action as he was having doubts over whether it was working for him. That kind of doubt can creep in for many reasons—and in his case, the lack of eye-catching numbers in domestic competitions was certainly one.”

In the DPL, Bangladesh’s premier List A competition, Tanvir claimed 15 wickets in 13 matches. Meanwhile, in the BPL, the country’s only franchise-based T20 tournament, he picked up just 10 wickets in 12 games while conceding 8.15 runs per over. These figures prompted both Tanvir and his mentors to reflect on how to adapt more effectively across formats.

DOUBTS CREEP IN AS RESULTS FLATTEN

Sohel said one of the major challenges for any player is managing the mental toll of underperformance.

“A cricketer can have doubts over his ability, and that’s very natural,” he said. “But the real problem begins when that doubt eats into your process—when you stop trusting what once worked for you.”

According to the coach, Tanvir’s attempt to change his action mid-series raised eyebrows among teammates and observers, especially given that the spinner had used the same technique since 2013. While the decision came from a place of self-reflection, it also risked further instability if not properly guided.

HRIDOY’S INTERVENTION CHANGES COURSE

As he wrestled with this technical dilemma, a conversation with national teammate Towhid Hridoy proved to be a pivotal moment. Hridoy, a top-order batter, encouraged Tanvir to return to his original bowling mechanics.

“During the T20I series, Tanvir was trying something new with his action, and many people were sceptical about it,” Sohel said. “He was talking to a lot of people, trying to find direction. Eventually, he had a long discussion with Hridoy, who told him: ‘You became who you are with that action—why abandon it now?’”

That advice hit home.

“Hridoy believed Tanvir’s strength lay in his identity as a bowler who could control flight, pace, and variation through that original action. And Tanvir realised that perhaps he had moved away from what made him effective in the first place.”

SHORTER FORMAT ALTERED LINE AND LENGTH

Another issue Tanvir faced was the side effect of playing too much T20 cricket, which impacted his natural ODI bowling traits.

“Since he had to play a lot of T20 matches recently, it affected his length and pace,” Sohel explained. “He began to bowl back-of-a-length deliveries with extra pace and started pushing the ball through, rather than rolling it out of his hand.”

“Eventually, he even stopped using his full body in his delivery stride. We had to bring him back to his old rhythm. We talked about which lengths are effective in ODIs, and how to vary his pace without losing control.”

Sohel added that these refinements are already making a difference.

“Now he’s getting back to the basics. His action is smoother, his line and length are more suited for ODIs, and most importantly, he’s clear in his mind.”

“I think he now understands his role better—how he should operate in the 50-over format. The tactical plans in ODIs and T20Is are quite different, and Tanvir’s recent performances show that he’s growing into the skin of an ODI bowler quite well.”