McMillan excited by mix of talent and passion

The Daily Star (TDS): What prompted you to take the role as Bangladesh's batting consultant?

Craig McMillan (CM): I thought it would be a good and exciting opportunity to work with some very talented players and hopefully help and add something to their game.

TDS: What are the areas you are going to focus in the Bangladesh batting department on the tour of Sri Lanka?

CM: My focus firstly will be getting to know the players and to develop a relationship with them all. Then to understand how they think and play when batting and help them in their preparation for the series.

TDS: You must have some long-term plans as well. Do you also want to work in the limited-over formats with Bangladesh?

CM: I worked for over five years with the New Zealand team across all three formats, including two World Cup finals. So, it would be something I would consider moving forward.

TDS: How difficult will it be to adapt and adjust for the batsmen, who are returning to international cricket after a gap of more than six months?

CM: It will be challenging for the players but luckily, thanks to BCB, we have some good preparation time before the Test matches start to get any rust out of the system and have some quality training sessions heading into the series.

TDS: Batting has always been one of the weakest links for Bangladesh when it comes to the longest format of the game for many years now, especially overseas. What will be your initial task to improve that in Sri Lanka?

CM: One of the challenges when touring overseas is how quickly you can adapt to the local conditions and make any adjustments that you need to make to your game. Working out your individual game plan and how you will play is important. The quicker this can be done, the more chance of getting success.

TDS: You were part of the New Zealand coaching staff when Bangladesh toured in 2019. You closely saw of the Bangladeshi batters during that series. Anyone who caught your eye?

CM: New Zealand played Bangladesh a number of times when I was with them as batting coach. I think Bangladesh have a number of quality and experienced players in Test cricket in the likes of Mominul [Haque], Mushfiqur [Rahim], Tamim [Iqbal] and Shakib [Al Hasan]. There are also some new players just starting out in international cricket like Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Mohammad Mithun, so I think it is an exciting time for Bangladesh cricket.

TDS: You definitely have an idea about the passionate Bangladeshi fans and their expectations from the team.

CM: One of the great things you experience when you play against Bangladesh is the passion, noise and excitement that their fans bring to the game. I always enjoyed that experience and I am sure the team will have plenty of support when they play.