Bangla bats eye high returns from Powerplay
Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons feels the key to his team’s success in the World Cup would not just depend on his spinners but also on the batsmen capitalising on the batting Powerplay.
Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons feels the key to his team’s success in the World Cup would not just depend on his spinners but also on the batsmen capitalising on the batting Powerplay.
Bangladesh have quite a few stroke-makers and the Australian feels his boys have a better chance with the field restrictions on.
He has made a few changes in the line-up and it’s up to the experienced Mohammad Ashraful and Raqibul Hasan to get maximum returns from the five-over restriction.
Siddons has got keeper Mushfiqur Rahim up at No. 4, ahead of skipper Shakib-Al Hasan. Raqibul and Ashraful are No. 6 and 7.
Ashraful has the ability to find the gaps and Raqibul can clear the in-field with his lofted shots.
Bangladesh could not make good use of the batting Powerplay in the first two matches for contrasting reasons.
Against the West Indies on Friday, a match Bangladesh badly need to win to keep hopes of a last-eight stage alive, the Tigers are looking for a better all-round show. “The Powerplay is slightly tricky. The field comes in and it is difficult to find the gaps. So we most try and get over the top. My style suits this and coming down the order I can give the batting some depth,” Ashraful said.
“The confidence I gained from the last match will definitely help my batting. We failed to apply ourselves against Ireland but we are ready for a better show against the West Indies,” the 26-year-old told HT.
For 23-year-old Raqibul, who has got starts in both matches, success in the Powerplay could become the difference on a wicket where the ball does not come on to the bat.
“The wicket will be difficult to score on. The Powerplay could make the difference,” said Raqibul who used to be a hard-hitting opener in age-group cricket and shifted to the middle order to give himself a better chance of getting into the national team.
“Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard are dangerous but they will find it difficult to score here. So, we will have to bat steadily and try and get on top of them as early as possible,” said Ashraful.