Great inputs all around.
BANFAN touched on the case of Aftab and JO, which I find interesting and without a doubt explains our shortcomings. To me, it is equally unnatural, when a batsman ( for example : JO and Rajin ) refuses to punish a ball that deserves to be hit. Equally unnatural is when a gaping hole in the field is not exploited due to lazy running between the wkts. And, it is super annoying, when a batsman continues to challenge the field set up for his demise just to show his natural gaming can overcome it. Each individual of our team ( or any team )does something with the bat that he is more comfortable with, or should I say, naturally comfortable. But, the other part of the equation is the opposition, who will not let you seat pretty in your comfort zone, and that is when we falter or what I call, head towards natural death. I think ours is the only team, when we as fans, can anticipate the fall of a wkt during a match more than any other team. The moment the pressure is on, we can see the writing on the wall. We do two things in those situations : Either we try to hit our way out of it , or we adopt the turtle strategy, which shuns the idea of run scoring . Neither helps the cause.
Coaching can do so much boys. It is ultimately up to us to play to the situation of the game. Coaches will come and go, but until and unless we change our individual ways of playing cricket with mental fortitude that is necessary, the outcomes will remain the same. Natural game has to be harnessed like somebody said, or in cases like JO types, it has to be discarded in certain situations.
|