The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has brought in English coach Julian Wood to help the national team improve their power hitting ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup. Working with Litton Das, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Shamim Hossain, Wood has been running intensive training sessions in Mirpur following a fitness camp, as well as taking sessions for local coaches and women cricketers at BKSP.
Wood, who arrived in Bangladesh on a 28-day contract, emphasised that power hitting is a process that cannot be mastered in just one or two weeks. “The way the boys are playing now… it’s actually a matter of process. You may see some differences in a short time, but full mastery takes longer. You have to understand and believe in the process,” he said.
Speaking to the media in Sylhet, Wood said, “There’s a myth that Bangladeshi batters don’t have power. If you look at the West Indies, they are physically a bit bigger; Australian and English cricketers are stronger. The Bangladeshi boys are physically a bit smaller but they do have power. Believe me, they have enough power. The most important thing is how you access that power, how you use it.”
He added that smaller players often rely on rhythm, timing and movement to generate power. “When these elements are aligned, velocity increases. We are teaching them how to enhance power through coordination between body and hands.”
Wood also stressed the importance of mindset in developing power hitting. He warned against negative comments from outside the team, which can undermine players’ confidence. “When you keep telling someone they cannot do it, they start believing they cannot. My job is to provide the tools, build the right mindset, and make the players feel they can do it. When they believe in themselves, it works and that’s a huge factor,” he said.
