After Chandika Hathurusingha was appointed for his second stint as Bangladesh’s head coach earlier this year, the Sri Lankan quickly started to work on instilling an aggressive mindset in the camp.
Even as the cricketers concluded a three-day training camp in Sylhet yesterday ahead of their upcoming ODI series against Ireland in England, Hathurusingha continued to hone in on those attacking aspects from the batters.
The newfound aggression was clear to see in the last few white-ball series, with batters willing to express themselves in the middle.
The clear message from Hathurusingha was to remain positive, which was witnessed during the home series against Ireland as Bangladesh posted close to 350 runs in two consecutive games.
It was also evident even during the T20I series against England, but there remain concerns about utilising the Powerplay in ODI cricket.
Bangladesh have managed to see out the Powerplay without losing a wicket in just one of their last 10 ODIs, the lone occasion being when the Tigers chased down a 102-run target against Ireland without loss.
The 54-year-old had also rectified the weak link in the Tigers batting department by giving clear instructions to the openers to make the most of the Powerplay.
“I think the batters need to play according to their batting position. The openers need to bat the first 10 overs. It is important to know how we want to start or take the advantage of the fielding restrictions while the situation is different in the middle overs. Sometimes maybe four batters were dismissed while at times five got out,” Hathurusingha told the media during the press conference in Sylhet yesterday.
“So it is important how you want to start. If you don’t prepare accordingly, you will get stuck in the middle, which we don’t want. We want the batters to have a clear plan in mind regardless of the situation.”
Bangladesh’s middle-order has consistently been doing well, with the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto, along with newcomer Towhid Hridoy, showing positive intent.
But Hathurusingha was unwilling to make wholesale changes in terms of mindset. He was keener to provide freedom to the cricketers.
According to the Sri Lankan, it is not just about having an attacking mindset in the batting department but more about instilling a positive attitude that permeates all aspects of the game.
“Our approach should be to play positive and aggressive cricket all the time. But it doesn’t mean they will hit every ball out of the stadium and I say that to the cricketers all the time. Being aggressive means you have to be in a positive frame of mind. At the same time, you also have to be aggressive in decision-making. Whether it’s team selection, field placements or change in bowling, I need to give freedom to the boys so that they are able to express themselves in the middle,” he said.
The Tigers are scheduled to travel to England on May 1 to take part in a three-match ODI series against Ireland.
