Sylhet Thunder are struggling at the bottom of the seven-team Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 points table with just one win in eight matches.
Their sole win came riding on two brilliant knocks from West Indian big-hitters Andre Fletcher and Johnson Charles, while the local players have flattered to deceive.
And their coach, former South African opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs said the local cricketers need to improve their mindset if they are to give a better account of themselves.
Gibbs cited the example of ace Tigers all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, and said T20 is not just about hitting from the word go, but pacing the innings gradually.
Here are the excerpts of his conversation with the media in the sidelines of their training session at Sylhet District Stadium Wednesday where he spoke about the importance of the local players improving their mental aspects:
@SylhetThunder coach @hershybru said their local players don’t understand English properly, which is creating difficulties while coaching them in the Bangabandhu @BCBtigers Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20.https://t.co/42QQj8Za1x#BCBTIGERS #BCB #TIGERS #BANGLADESHCRICKET #BPL
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) January 1, 2020
“Mosaddek [Hossain] is a good player. But it’s up to him how much better he wants to become. Like I said, it’s the understanding of the game. Like [Mohammad] Mithun has played two of the best paced T20 innings in this tournament. First game he scored 80-odd, he paced his innings nicely and area of scoring was great. And then he scored 40-odd the other day. A lot of time these guys are probably thinking of hitting big shots. But it’s not always hitting big shots. It’s about how you pace your innings and when to attack or when to hold on. For example, Mithun scored 80-odd in the first game, and then 40-odd in the next game and in the next game, he scored nought when there was still six overs left. So sometime they don’t trust on their abilities. Sometimes you need to knock it around for five balls and then go for it.
“Better players do these small little things more often than other players who are not so good. That’s why mental side is important. If they can improve the mental side of the game then they will see a huge difference in their play. Because they have the skills and shots in their side. That’s why Shakib [al Hasan] is completely different from the rest. Because his understanding of the game is better than other players. That’s why he is so consistent in all formats.
“T20 is not just hitting and hitting. You leave those for the guys in the bottom order, batsmen who finish the innings and rely on power. That is one fundamental that I have noticed in local players, not just in our team but in other teams as well in the tournament. They are just wanting to go, wanting to go.
“Like I said right before the tournament, this T20 is not just about applying the pressure. It’s also about absorbing the pressure a bit then going for it. I always talk about the three ‘P’s. Pressure, partnerships and patience. Those all apply in every format and T20 is no different. And it’s also about hunger. Good batsmen around the world are always hungry to score in every format. They never give it away easy. Like [Virat] Kohli, [AB] de Villiers, they are always hungry to score. Those are the things local players need to understand and improve.”
