Bangladesh fielding coach Richard Halsall believes that good cricket, irrespective of conditions and pitches, will stand the Tigers in good stead in the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
There has been a lot of talk, mostly outside the dressing room, regarding the alien conditions Bangladesh are expected to face Down Under. But Halsall, a former Zimbabwean cricketer, thinks a professional side should be able to perform wherever they play.
“You play good cricket, it doesn’t matter where you are,” Halsall told the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.
“You will win games. Obviously, things lean one way. We have just seen the Indians play well against Australia’s seam attack. They (India) played well against the seamers in England but got bowled out by the spinners,” he added.
The 46-year old fielding coach said outside pressure is normal ahead of such a mega event before adding, “But, it is more to do with the fact that you are playing away from home, where you are not comfortable. This causes more doubt and instability than pitches. Some of our players have never played in Canberra, New Zealand or MCG (Mebourne Cricket Ground) before.”
The former assistant coach of England also said hitting the ball hard will be crucial given the long boundaries of the Australian grounds. “The intensity is going to be very important. The ball is going to be hit really hard, there will be a lot of rope-work as a result. People are looking for boundaries more often nowadays. It is going to be very role-specific, so people will be practising their positions. The more you are happy with your role, that familiarity breeds confidence.”
Halsall went on to praise the improved fielding displays of a few Bangladesh cricketers.
“What has been really pleasing is the collective effort of the team to be honest. So you can see some of the senior players like Tamim [Iqbal] now diving around. Two people chasing the ball, people prepared to dive and maybe hurt themselves. It is also nice to have the calming influence of Shakib [al Hasan]. It is amazing how the inclusion of one or two gun fielders, like Sabbir [Rahman], trickles down elsewhere. Hopefully they do some special things in Australia.”
