David Hemp, the newly appointed head coach of the Bangladesh women’s team, is set to take charge as the Tigresses enter a period of transition following the departure of Sarwar Imran. His first assignment comes with Bangladesh’s historic ODI tour of Australia. Hemp will join the Tigresses in Brisbane ahead of the three-match series. Before the tour, Hemp spoke exclusively to Jubayer Tanin of TIMES in an exclusive interview about his new role, the team’s transition, the leadership change and his coaching philosophy.
You’ve been around Bangladesh cricket for a few years now. Has Bangladesh started to feel a little bit like home?
Yes. Bangladesh does certainly feel like a second home having spent the last few years there and working across various teams rather than just one assigned team through this period gets you connected to a greater pool of people.
Looking at the recent Asia Cup and Asian Games, particularly Bangladesh’s batting performances, where do you think the biggest shortcomings are?
It’s difficult for me to comment specifically on those performances as I wasn’t there, but moving forward, the focus will be on working consistently with the team, assessing where we need to improve and identifying the areas that need to evolve further. The key will be to build greater consistency and make sure we continue developing as a team.
What will be your main priority in rebuilding the team environment and creating a more positive culture?
The focus needs to be on how we can evolve and get better, both individually and as a group. That is what is within our control. If we approach everything we do with that mindset, with a clear focus on development and improvement, we give ourselves the best opportunity to build greater consistency and confidence as a team
Your first major assignment will be the ODI series in Australia. How do you approach such a challenging tour so soon after taking over?
Statistically, Australia are the best team in the world and they have quality players across both skill sets, so there is no doubt it will be a significant challenge for us. But I also see it as a fantastic opportunity to test ourselves against one of the strongest teams in the world. Playing a side of this quality will give us vital insight moving forward, what we do well and, importantly, the areas where we need to improve. The information and experience we gain from this series will be important as we look to evolve, grow and build greater consistency as a team.
What is the first thing you want the players to understand about your coaching philosophy?
My role is to assist both the team and individuals to be the best that they can be. Having worked with them previously they have an idea of how I approach coaching. They also understand that I will do what I can but it’s also about them, the choices they make and the work that they put in to move their games forward.
Where do you realistically see this team in two years, and what needs to happen for Bangladesh to get there?
It is difficult to say exactly where we will be in two years because every team is working towards the same objective and actively trying to improve. What we can control is our own development, our standards and the consistency with which we work. If we continue to improve in those areas, hopefully that puts us in a strong position to compete at a higher level.
If you had complete control of Bangladesh women’s cricket, what is the one thing you would change?
Practice habits and clarity around individual games is really important. If this is approached well, it builds player’s trust in themselves which more often than not lets them play with confidence. And that is the simple truth, all coaches want players to demand the skills that they have.
