India has had quality fast bowlers from the time of Kapil Dev: Dion Nash

In our growing up years during the 1990s and early 2000s, everyone was familiar with Dion Nash. Suddenly you were nowhere on the New Zealand scene. What are you up to these days — coaching, commentating? We do not see or hear about you much these days.

Yeah, I enjoyed playing in my time but now I am running my own business, I have a family, have three kids aged 12, 14, and 16. My hands are full right now just looking after them. I still love keeping in touch with cricket, I travelled from Auckland, where I live, to Wellington to watch the game. I love Indian culture. I have also named my daughter India.

That is interesting because I remember Jonty Rhodes has also named his daughter India. So why did you name your daughter India?

I always liked touring India and there is no other place like India to play cricket. I think everybody who goes there has a wonderful experience. And of course, I like the name India even though it is a bit old-fashioned. I have good memories of India, it has a good vibe.

Since your playing days, Indian cricket has undergone tremendous change, especially in fast bowling. What do you make of the kind of quality fast bowlers India has today?

India has had quality fast bowlers from the time of Kapil Dev. There have been many fantastic bowlers over the years, even though India is known for its slower tracks and spinners .

I think the game has thrown up the talent that has always been there. It’s exciting to see pitches that are more supportive of fast bowling. It’s exciting to see pitches that have some bounce instead of the slow Indian tracks of yore.

I think the Indian team has style, it has flair, and it has talent that has grown with the game. I am still fond of older players like Sachin Tendulkar (the best), Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and more, from the era that I played in. Cricket in India has always been great and it’s not surprising that it's doing great now.

You spoke about the batsmen, is there any Indian bowler from the current or previous generation that you like?

My favourite all-time Indian bowler is Kapil Dev. I grew up watching Kapil, Imran Khan, Richard Headly, and Ian Botham; they inspired me to play the game. I cannot look past them.

Of course, many of the modern day bowlers are also wonderful. Bumrah is a freak of nature, but it’s unfair to single him out because there are so many bowlers playing in so many different formats. A T20 bowler is totally different from a Test bowler and even from a one-day bowler. The game is exciting as it is and such players make it even more so.

Has the T20 format made the game more challenging for fast bowlers? If you had to play today, how tough would it have been for you?

I really do not know about that. All I can say is that being the best in your generation is the best you can do. Athletes will adapt to the different formats.

While I think there are more opportunities now, it’s also tougher these days because the game has developed and evolved as have the players.

The conditions in which they play are better. I think the one thing that has evolved with time is the quality of the wickets. You can now hit through the line rather than having to have the technique to survive an uneven, or spinning, or slow wicket, which was a skill you needed in the olden days.