In the modern era of white-ball cricket, batting has become synonymous with power hitting. From the powerplay to the middle overs and the death, batters are expected to go hard throughout the innings. With boundaries and sixes now defining the tempo of limited-overs cricket, Bangladesh have long found themselves lagging behind.
To bridge that gap, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has brought in English specialist coach Julian Wood. He will work with the national side until the Asia Cup, running a short 28-day stint that ends on 3 September.
Wood has already conducted sessions with players named in the Asia Cup’s preliminary squad, though his first workshops were with local coaches and members of the women’s team. A skill camp is scheduled in Sylhet from 20 August, while Bangladesh will also be hosting the Netherlands in between.
Whether his methods can make a tangible difference in such a short time remains to be seen. Wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali believes it is too early to draw conclusions.
“It’s too soon to comment on what improvements have been made,” he said on Monday. “But we’re trying to do the drills and exercises he’s given us. The swing practices and different drills are definitely useful.”
Wood has also drawn attention for introducing the ProVelocity bat, a training tool designed to enhance bat swing and hand–eye coordination. The bat emits a sound after contact, with the volume indicating the speed of the swing.
Laughing while describing his experience, Jaker said: “When you manage to produce the number of sounds he asks for, it feels good. But it takes a lot of force and effort to make that sound. If we keep working with it consistently, it will definitely help.”
Jaker, however, admitted that mastering power hitting cannot be achieved overnight. Instead, Wood has focused on extending each player’s hitting range without overhauling their natural game.
“He’s told us that timers won’t become power hitters overnight,” Jaker explained. “But if timers can extend their shots by four to six metres, then what used to be a dismissal could now clear the ropes for six. That’s what he’s trying to help us with.”