On Monday, Mohammad Ashraful was appointed as the batting coach for the Test and T20I series at home against Ireland.
His return comes at a time when Bangladesh’s batting unit is struggling. The job will not be easy for Ashraful, even though the opponent is not the toughest in terms of ranking. In the first two T20Is of the recent series against West Indies, Bangladesh failed to chase 166 and 150 on batting-friendly wickets.
Former Bangladesh international batter and well–known coach of the country, Rajin Saleh, spoke to The Daily Times of Bangladesh about the challenges Ashraful will face.
Talking about the problems in the batting line-up, he said, “Look, we can not play (every) shot if we practice power hitting only. Even if a pace bowler is asked to hit with power, he can do it, like, for example, our Khaled (Ahmed) can do. In cricket, there is a thing called tactics. You’ll have to play according to the team and the situation. I don’t think you’ll have to hit big sixes every time. And if you hit a 100 meter six, you’ll not be awarded a ‘double six’. If you hit a 57 meter six, you’ll get six runs.”
He believes the tactical side is ignored in Bangladesh’s batting. Rajin said, “I don’t think the tactical side of these facts is looked after well. There’s a thing in cricket called a pocket shot. When you can’t do a lot of things with your body’s power, you’ll have to do those with your intelligence. You’ll have to score runs by thinking. I don’t know if we do enough practice of the pocket shots. For example, if point or cover is inside the circle, lofting it over cover normally – is a pocket shot. Even if it’s a two, you’ll get 10 runs off 5 or 6 balls, which is not bad.”
Rajin believes Ashraful’s experience can make a difference. He said, “Ashraful has his own methods of coaching. When he played in the internationals, he dominated. When Bangladesh was fragile and we couldn’t win, he dominated. If he can share that experience, it will help a lot. I think he should be given a bit of time to work. They should not consider him for just a series, he should be allowed to work for at least a year. Team director Abdur Razzak should look after whether he is getting to work properly or not.”
Ashraful himself wants to help the team tactically. Rajin added, “I have my prayers and best wishes for Ashraful. He told me that he wanted to help the team technically, and especially, tactically. He wants the team to utilize his knowledge. If they can do so, they will be successful.”
On the same day, Bangladesh Cricket Board appointed former national team spinner and Bangladesh’s spin legend Abdur Razzak as team director. Rajin knows him closely and praises the decision.
“Previously, Shujon bhai worked in the role of a team director. A team director should keep the team and the dressing room united, and discuss things with every player. He should organize the team and take them to the field. Abdur Razzak is my friend, he has played international cricket for many years, we all know, he has a lot of experience. He knows how to make the dressing room bonding better, because he was a player himself. So I think if he gets to perform his role properly, he will excel, because he has a commanding voice. I think a team director like him was needed.”
With Ashraful taking charge of the batting and Razzak overseeing the team environment, Bangladesh will hope for a fresh start. The upcoming series against Ireland will be their first test.
When Aminul Islam Bulbul first arrived as BCB President, he said it would be a T20 innings that everyone would remember. Later, he took part in the election and turned that short stint into a long-term role. If Ashraful can impress with his work, he can do something similar. He can convert his T20 innings into a Test one.
– Shajedul Rahin
