The quirks and challenges of covering Bangladesh cricket: interview with journalist Mohammad Isam

We talk to ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent Mohammad Isam on his decade-long career covering cricket and his recent anthology On the Tigers Trail.

Isam touches on the culture of cricket media in Bangladesh and offers a number of personal nuggets  - bowling to Kevin Pietersen in the nets, talking to Javed Omar about a 'Hate to Love' piece, prompting a Mohammad Ashraful breakdown, following Mashrafe Mortaza on his election trail... and much more. 

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Talking Points:

• The culture of cricket coverage in Bangladesh
• The journey from being a club cricketer to a journalist
• Hearing of Mustafizur Rahman's potential - and helping his rise
• Bowling to Kevin Pietersen in the Dhaka nets in 2010
• The hopes invested in Mohammad Ashraful, and the eventual disappointment
• The Dhaka Premier League and its role in the cricketing fabric of Bangladesh
• The cottage industry of left-arm spinners in Bangladesh
• The journalist-player relationship and retaining one's journalistic objectivity
•  The brutal honesty of Mashrafe Mortaza
• The fateful day in Christchurch in 2019: when the team escaped from terrorists

Participants:

Mohammad Isam (@isam84)

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Related:

• For those within Bangladesh, order Isam's book here
• The day I helped KP confront his spin demon - Mohammad Isam - ESPNcricinfo
• Javed Omar, no, yes, sorry - Mohammad Isam - The Cricket Monthly
• The original premier league - Mohammad Isam on the Dhaka Premier League - ESPNcricinfo
• Red Sun Rising - Sidharth Monga and Mohammad Isam - The Cricket Monthly
• Left-arm revolutionaries - Mohammad Isam - The Cricket Monthly
• A mountain of hope, a pile of Ash - Mohammad Isam - The Cricket Monthly
• Mashrafe's tale - Mohammad Isam - ESPNcricinfo
• On the campaign trail with Mashrafe Mortaza - Mohammad Isam - ESPNcricinfo