'Less experienced players need more chances’
Not far removed from their maiden multi-team trophy won on September 17, the sense of positivity was palpable throughout the Tigers' three-hour practice session at the Leicestershire County Cricket Club yesterday.
Batting consultant Neil McKenzie, who has slowly but surely been lifting Bangladesh's ODI batting since joining the team in summer 2018, looked as pleased as the players, and thought that the uptick in batting performance had its roots in practice. In a quick interview with The Daily Star's Sakeb Subhan after the three-hour practice session, McKenzie talked about where Bangladesh's batting stands at the moment and the importance of dealing with less experienced players with a modicum of understanding and patience.
The following are excerpts from the interview:
The Daily Star (TDS): You must be pretty happy with the way the Bangladesh team have approached their batting in the Ireland series.
Neil McKenzie (NM): I think the guys have put in a good effort. I think you got to see what good preparation does for a team. Obviously the last ODi we played was in New Zealand, which was a really tough tour on and off the field. So it was nice to get here in foreign conditions and do really really well. I think the team gelled really well and the whole squad, even the guys who didn't play made a contribution in the Bangladesh setup.
TDS: How did the guys not in the team help?
NM: I think just bringing a lot of energy at game time. Practising really hard, making it really competitive at practice, I think that's one thing that we've really tried to put an emphasis on – practising very competitively. So whether you have got the ball in your hand, the bat in your hand, you're trying to stop runs, take wickets... and having a bit of fun, trying to celebrate our wickets. Even the coaches celebrate our wickets at practice. Make it really competitive and fun. Too many times, especially it is really hard on the guys in terms of fasting, it's a special time for them, but the energy is not always up there, so it's about quality of practice and the competitive nature in practice.
TDS: How did the New Zealand series help prepare you for this tour?
NM: Well, I think technically it definitely helped. It showed some of the batsmen what they'll have to do to be effective away from home, away from the subcontinent. Like staying on the ball as long as we can, hitting it a little bit late, not always on the front foot. Getting some options off the back foot. So it was a big learning curve, it was a hard learning curve but it was a good one for the guys, and I think New Zealand and England have similar conditions, although we are going into a bit of summer here and those one-day wickets look really good in England. If they do get dry and a bit tacky, we obviously know how to play on those surfaces. It's just the beginning part of the tournament when the ball does nip around a little bit. I think New Zealand would have given us an indication of what we need to do.
TDS: Back home, most were surprised at the scoring rates they achieved to chase down big totals. Having taken over last summer in the West Indies, is this as good as you would hope to get as far as scoring rates and approach is concerned?
NM: I think it's a sign of things to come. You've got some world-class players in the Bangladesh side. I think there's a lot of competition for places, which is a healthy thing. If you look at the squad and you look who's not here in terms of the batting, the guy's that are here are quality players and there's a lot of quality players back home. I think the competitive nature of the Bangladesh squad and the next level coming through definitely puts a bit of pressure and with that pressure comes a lot of hunger as well, with the guys wanting to better themselves. Bangladesh have always been a good, skilled hitting unit. We've tried to hone a few different thought patterns and ideas, but you've got quality players and they were good performances. You look at the experience that we've got mixed in with some very excitable and capable, slightly less experienced players and it's a nice mix. We're not gonna get ahead of ourselves. We know that West Indies wasn't at full strength, the wickets were really good and this World Cup, you will meet nine other top teams but it's a very nice, positive, encouraging start for our guys and a confidence booster. I really like the way the less experienced guys stood up. Especially batting – it's a tough skill, you need to be backed, you need chances and you need a bit of luck, so very chuffed.
TDS: Do you think the Ireland wickets are comparable to those in England?
NM: It's not too far apart. I think they are slightly similar. I think you'll have a few little differences at a lot of the county grounds. If you're playing a little further north, it will do a little bit more. You go further south, inland... depends on how many games have been played and you can get a bit of turn. The weather plays a part. Generally the professionalism of the counties, in terms of the grounds, in terms of the setup, you're guaranteed good practice facilities and quality wickets.
TDS: With the lower middle order being a concern, and while Sabbir and Saifuddin did not really get a chance to shine in Ireland, how happy are you with what Mosaddek did in the final?
NM: As I said, with a lot of these slightly less experienced guys, you look at his first-class record, he's a quality player. There's quite a few of those types of players in our setup. Given the right chances – it's a lot about opportunities and understanding. I think I've noticed in Bangladesh that there's not too much understanding when there is a less experienced player. It's hard work at international level, the more experienced players have had a longer chance at it. The way Bangladesh cricket is at the moment there is a lot of competition for places – you need a little bit of luck and understanding, and you need a little bit of a run. A guy like AB de Villiers didn't just come onto the scene and set it alight. It took him a couple of years to establish himself in the side. But he did get chances and understanding. And that normally happens in winning sides, where you can afford to carry a younger guy. A guy like Michael Clarke in the Australian setup, you have to carry for a while because they were winning. You could have played Darren Lehmann but they played Michael Clarke, just to give him a chance. You need a little bit of luck and belief. With Steven Rhodes, he definitely likes to give those guys that confidence and when he backs someone he really backs a guy. It's great to see a guy like Saikat doing so well. It was great to see Sabbir doing so well in New Zealand, getting his first hundred. Soumya's been really good, Liton played a nice innings the other day, he had a great Asia Cup. The whole squad, I can go on and on and on, and that is without bringing in our experienced guys in Shakib, Tamim and Mushy. Everybody can gel as a team and we've got a really really good unit and a good squad.