Moody's focus on local cricketers
One of only two foreign coaches among the seven teams for the upcoming fifth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), former Australia cricketer Tom Moody began his assignment as Rangpur Riders' head coach yesterday.
Moody arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday, nine days before the tournament opener on November 4, and emphasised on local talents as he worked with the available local players at the National Academy ground in Mirpur yesterday.
Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza will feature for Rangpur this season and the previous edition's semifinalists are already among the favourites after picking up West Indies' Chris Gayle and Samuel Badree and New Zealand's Brendon McCullum in their foreign players' quota.
With the likes of Abdur Razzak, Shahriar Nafees, Rubel Hossain, Sohag Gazi, Mohammad Mithun, Ziaur Rahman and Shamsur Rahman among the local cricketers, Moody's goal is to clinch the title this season and bring out the best of the local cricketers.
"To me it is also about developing players. I have come here a couple of days early because I was keen to work with domestic players before the international players come. It is important that I know them personally, know their games, build a relationship and trust each other," Moody told reporters yesterday. "I hope that with the experience of us being together and having experienced players around, everyone is better off for it."
The 52-year-old, who also has coaching roles in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Caribbean Premier League and Pakistan Super League, informed that it was always a challenge to work in the sub-continent.
"I have always enjoyed the challenge of working in the sub-continent, which is why I took the opportunity to coach Sri Lanka in 2005. I could have easily stayed in the comfort zone of working in Australia or England but I am challenging myself in different environments and cultures. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Sri Lanka and in the IPL. This is a challenge that I have experienced, so I welcome it with open arms," he concluded.
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