'We need stronger bodies'

BCB High Performance team coach Simon Helmot was excited about the outcome of the just-concluded tour to Australia, where the team won all five of their one-day matches and the lone three-day match. The HP team returned home from their trip to Darwin last Monday but questions remain about who actually played for the Northern Territory Invitational XI.

"The tour was excellent. There were fantastic facilities and great conditions. We have had some good performances and most importantly, some good learning about where the player and the team need to improve to develop some of these players into national players," responded Helmot when asked how the tour was.

When his attention was drawn to the strength of the opponents and whether it was up to the mark, the Australian said: "I think their depth wasn't as strong as we had hoped. The first game we should have lost. We put on 20 runs for the last partnership to win the game. So the first three 50-over matches were very competitive. Game 4 and 5 weren't as competitive. They missed a couple of players through injuries. The three-day game was terrific. Hopefully in England the opposition can be even better. It is what I am looking for, next time."

He also spoke about what kind of improvement he was looking for after the tour.

"I think we can improve our general fitness and fielding. I think that's the theme in the coming fortnight before we have a week's break in the academy. We need to get some stronger bodies who can bowl for longer periods of time. We need to get some batsmen who can be strong physically and mentally to bat for long periods of time. We need to make sure that we develop our bodies to be agile and strong enough and have strong throwing arms to be excellent in the field," he explained.