INTERVIEW
Follow UsLike many associate nations in the recent past, Oman have progressed from strength to strength, with them set to make their third T20 World Cup appearance later this year. One man who has been a pillar of success in their growth has been the 37-year-old Bilal Khan, who for the longest time has been their bowling spearhead.
He hasn’t just uplifted Oman to the next level but also has shown the world to not take associate cricket very lightly, with consistent stellar performances, so much so that he is chasing after a world record.
Bilal has 95 One-Day International (ODI) wickets in 45 matches. Five more wickets in the next four games will see him pip Shaheen Afridi to become the fastest pacer to 100 wickets in the format. His 95 wickets so far have come at a strike rate of 24.6, which is the best for any bowler (min: 50 wickets).
Not just that, only 10 bowlers have taken more wickets than Bilal in T20 Internationals (T20I) since his debut in November 2015, and only two of them have played fewer matches than his 69.
Another feather in his cap is that he has taken the most wickets (21) in the first over of a T20I, ahead of individuals of the stature of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (18), Tim Southee (16) and David Willey (14).
It is safe to say that the left-arm pacer is a menace in white-ball cricket. Given that he has been his side’s top performer with the ball in the previous cycle of CWC League 2, the ODI World Cup Qualifiers and the T20 World Cup Qualifiers, he is certainly one to watch out for in the upcoming mega event.
Would you dare to bet against Bilal to run the show in the upcoming ACC T20I Premier Cup 2024 in Oman? The tournament that kicks off on April 12 (Friday) will determine the sixth team participating in the 2025 Asia Cup.
Bilal left Pakistan for Oman after lack of support from his board, despite putting up decent performances in the limited opportunities he got. He packed his bags and proceeded to Oman in 2011-12 after his close acquaintances had told him of an opportunity.
He did odd jobs, including working as an office boy to initially make ends meet, while pursuing his dream of playing cricket for Oman. Once ICC’s cooling off period was over, he made his senior debut in 2015. He has not looked back since.
How does the 37-year-old manage to remain so consistent across all these tournaments, played in different countries and conditions?
“There is a lot of preparation involved, but I have had a lot of support from my coaches - be it from Duleep Mendis, Aaviskhar Salvi, Mazhar Saleem Khan, Champaka Ramanayake. They help me a lot. Then there's my training, gym, extra workout and practice. I am an in-swing bowler. I do some indoor practice, bowling, bowl 80, 90 balls, depending on my mood,” Bilal said in a chat with Cricket.com.
“I do seam bowling [too]. This helps me pick up wickets during matches, especially with the new ball. Then I practice separately with the old ball. I prefer bowling long spells as it boosts my energy and fitness. I practice for an hour with the new ball and then about an hour and 15 minutes with the old ball so that my preparation with both types of balls is equal.”
Over the years, Bilal has bowled in tandem with Fayyaz Butt – another tearaway pacer and also Kaleemullah, along with Mohammad Nadeem, Sandeep Goud and others.
“Cricket is such a sport that if you do not enjoy it, you will get hit. I enjoy bowling with Fayyaz Butt and Khaleemullah, especially because they support me well. They are more of defensive bowlers, while I am a strike bowler, so I enjoy bowling well in tandem with them,” Bilal said.
When asked if he sacrificed pace for accuracy, he said that is not the case. He is someone who believes bowling is all about adapting to the particular wicket.
“On wickets that are dead, if you bowl fast, the batter would like the pace. Varying the pace is helpful in such situations,” Bilal explained.
“On seaming wickets, it is important to vary a little so that the ball moves around a bit. As I said earlier, pace does not matter, skill matters.”
In his initial days, Bilal had tremendous support from his brother, and this relationship helped shape him as a cricketer.
“My elder brother brought us up after our father's death. He was a left-arm bowler, he played a lot of local cricket.
“Back then, there were no good facilities. He sacrificed a lot for us. He was quite a renowned bowler in Pakistan's tape-ball circuit and hard-ball cricket. I used to accompany him to his matches, so I copied his action as well. Whenever there was a match and there was pressure, he used to advise me on how to go about things. It is still the case and I keep working with him,” Bilal said.
For players from associate nations, an opportunity to play in some of the major T20 leagues are few and far between. However, Bilal recently grabbed his opportunities in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), where his 15 wickets were the highest for Chattogram Challengers, who crashed out in the Eliminator.
“Playing in these leagues is important as the knowledge gained there can be conveyed to your teammates,” Bilal, who has also had stints at ILT20 and the Afghanistan Premier League, said.
“Thankfully, I have never been dropped from the team, I have performed everywhere in the world. I pass on my learnings to the young players in the team. So, I believe it is important to play in the leagues across the world, whenever the opportunity arises.”
Bilal is no stranger to playing on the big stage. Besides the T20 leagues, he has also represented his country in the 2016 T20 World Cup in India and has been consistent in every tournament he has turned up for Oman since then.
The T20 World Cup 2024 could very well be his final chance to leave a mark. Or will he get another crack?
“If you ask Sachin Tendulkar, he will still say he can play. My fitness is good, I am hardworking, and I train for five hours a day. The fact that I performed well in the last [ODI World Cup] qualifier keeps me motivated to perform well in the next one — we missed out last time, but this time, no matter what happens, we won't miss out [again],” Bilal, who turned 37 on April 10 (Wednesday), stated.
