The Irresponsible BD style of Playing Cricket!

[Ahmed_B]

Just take a look at the brilliant NZ captain Stifen Fleming’s 2nd test innings of 202 runs.
Here is how he made his runs(quoting from memory as shown in TV commentary analysis.. with negligible mistakes maybe):

Singles- 85 times (42% of the runs)
2 runs- 9 times (0.09%)
3 runs- 3 times (0.05%)
4’s- 21 nos (41.5%)
6’s-1 no. (0.03%)

This is top class & responsible cricket...no doubt!!

Then what will we call our BD style of plying cricket??

I couldn’t help quoting some stats showing how much run BD and NZ got from 4's and 6s'.
(Originally posted by MarvinDaMartian, on 29-10-2004 in another thread)

1st Test
NZ
166 out of 402 is 41%
BD
96 out of 177 is 54% &
64 out of 126 is 51%

2nd test
NZ
246 out of 545 is 45%
BD:
102 out of 182 is 56% &
190 out of 262 is 72%!!!
(Pls note that even for the 2nd test when NZ abtted with faster tempo, they are still behind BD.)

Are the BD batsmen (the top & mid-order) just too arrogant & irresponsible & lazy to build an innings with hard work (i.e.1/2/3 runs)?? Isn’t that why they tend to play shorter innings all the time and almost all of them are a good 40/50 runs behind what they actually cud hav made if they had done built their innings the harder way??
Now that is so very irresponsible!!!

Edited on, October 30, 2004, 9:13 AM GMT, by crickethorizon.

[TigerFan]

cheer buddy cheer. This happens in cricket. Don't u see what is happening to India. Don't u remember what sl did to south africa about 2 or 3 months ago. Be patience. We did well against aus, pak, wi, eng. May be we did little bad this time so what. Our top players weren't even there to play. Our captain was injured. U have to take everything in consideration.

[mahbubH]

You will see the opposite trend in ODI ... you have to wait hours to see a 4 or 6s!

[Carte Blanche]

Tiger bhai, yes it happens to India too. But once or twice in 10 games. In our case, it is the complete opposite. But as s_f_d said, you will see flurry of boundaries in the ODI series. Is Styris playing? That guy is a big hitter. I hope he doesn't do what Flintoff did to us.

[nasifkhan]

Originally posted by sports_fan_bd
You will see the opposite trend in ODI ... you have to wait hours to see a 4 or 6s!

i dont think so that Bd player have the capability to do that

[Zephaniah]

Main problems in a nut-shell:

1. Wrong shot selection
2. Lack of patience
3. They don't know how to build an innings. For them there is nothing between a defensive shot and a boundary shot. All they need to do is to adapt playing with soft hand (in the right time) to take those 1s and 2s, build an innings slowly and then when they see the ball well, say after 45-60 mins in the crease, slaughter the bowlers (if possible) - I think its pretty much basic principles of batsmanship.



Edited on, October 30, 2004, 2:44 PM GMT, by Zephaniah.

[Shish Ahmed]

Crickethorizon, this is really good point made. The stats proof that Bd batsmen are impatient and are reluctant to stay at the wicket for long periods. Test match cricket is not about hitting four every hour, most definetly shot selection is a major problem for BD batsmen as i believe they have all the shots in the book it's just playing the right one at the right time.

[mahbubH]

Originally posted by nasifkhan

i dont think so that Bd player have the capability to do that

Do what? I meant in my post that BD players cannot hit 4 and 6's in ODI but the do in tests. We need the opposite way around!

[SS]

There's is on exception but intese boot camp...
as you all know to fix up some faults you have to go through massive training...
batting practice for 40 minutes only!!!...how can you expect a batsman to stay in crease who practices less than an hour...for test it's whole day game...will they gona survive ...never

On the other hand, when it comes to ODI other opponent not necessarily bowl line and length but they bowl using their heads and plans...so even we bat we never can score 4's because of other opponents' tactics..

But I think all these batsmen needs to practice for straight 1 hour then take few minutes brake...and then do one more hour of intesive batting..same with bowler ...just imagine if Md. Rafique retires what will happen to BD bowling!!! and also batting????

National league I guess will start or started(!) not sure ...but it NEEDS TO BE CHANGED..immediatly there should be two version of games and extensive cricket...though we have problems for rains and heat...if we need to we have to do it in indoor stadiums...I know it requires lots of funding..but if all the Governments could have saved few at a time they could have done...it's our policies..corruption and lack of planning that's destroying our reputation of our country.

[SS]

Do you guys think after these test series, in ODI we will have some significant performances?

After all these years, our patterns of batting are same. And as a ODI team we perform worse. But can we make a little difference on Nov 2. Is it possible? We talked about discussed, wrote pages after pages. But Our batsmen did the same mistake. We prepared graphs, analysed their batting, gave formulas, creating batting pattern, but do they really care or even improved or even got the opportunity?

Let's dream again! What you guys think should be appropriate approach for ODI team just to elevate the score to 180+ to make the game more competitive. This suggestion is only for the upcoming ODI series.

[Warlock]

Just as an idea- how about promoting Tapash to open the innings in the ODIs? Looks like he has better shots than our so-called top order batsmen.

[mahbubH]

Did not you read Masud and Basher's comments on Taposh heroic? I also think Taposh did well at the second test because the was playing without any pressure and if he would be promoted to the top of the order, pressure may affect his performance like others.

[Ahmed_B]

Ya I also don't think Opener's job is that easy at all..
It's not really possible that Tapash will succeed thru the fiery bowling by the pacers with the early new ball.. he is doing his job well at the tail.. let him do it. We need some slogging at the end of the innings as well..

And the way BD is playing.. it's natural that we will lose 10 wickets in 50 overs and the no. 8,9 & 10 will hav to bat for sure. So no possibility of his skills being left unused!
Moving Rafiq/Tapash up the order will only leave our tail unprotected..

More than that.. it's a very bad tendencey to get impatient and keep shuffling players in the team... even shuffling their playing positions as well. It affects their consistancy very much!

[Ahmed_B]

Here is how they scored their runs, highlighting how much they scored with 4’s & 6’s (significant innings only...with ratio)

Test 1
1st Innings
Rajin-26 out of 41 (63.4%)
Ash-35 of 67 (52.2%)
Pilot –8 of 23 (34.7%)
2nd Innings
Nafis-26 of 49 (53%)

Test 2
1st Innings
Nafis-12 of 13 (92%)
Aftab-12 of 20 (60%)
J.Omar-20 of 58 (34.5%)
2nd Innings
Aftab –16 of 28 (58%)
Rajin –28 of 35 (80%)
Kapali –12 of 13 (92%)
Pilot –36 of 51 (70.5%)

Most of these innings rate higher than 50%.. even upto 80% runs being scored through boundaries!
Jake bole real matha gorom!!
With this attitude.. its natural that they r not supposed to sustain at the wicket for longer period of time.. for playing big innings!

Edited on, November 1, 2004, 12:20 PM GMT, by crickethorizon.
Reason: Miscalculation

[bourny3]

great percentages cricket horizon. just one question how can 9 runs be scored through boundaries????
eg. Nafis-9 of 13 (69.25%)
Aftab-9 of 20 (45%)

[feisal]

here is a thought:

most probbaly it is more of a INCOMPETENCE than IRRESPONSIBILITY.....

another point even though there is a better thread to talk about this:

IF we play only 5 specialist batsmand.. then Rajin canNOT win a place actually..it will be ash, JO, nafis, sumon and aftab...whatever is the order..

[Ahmed_B]

Originally posted by bourny3
how can 9 runs be scored through boundaries????
eg. Nafis-9 of 13 (69.25%)
Aftab-9 of 20 (45%)

Oops.. sorry!
those were actually 12 runs!
now look how dangerous their percentages look! 92% & 60% !

thanx for reminding me.

[fy288]

2nd test
NZ
246 out of 545 is 45%
BD:
102 out of 182 is 56% &
190 out of 262 is 72%!!!
(Pls note that even for the 2nd test when NZ abtted with faster tempo, they are still behind BD.)

Are the BD batsmen (the top & mid-order) just too arrogant & irresponsible & lazy to build an innings with hard work (i.e.1/2/3 runs)?? Isn’t that why they tend to play shorter innings all the time and almost all of them are a good 40/50 runs behind what they actually cud hav made if they had done built their innings the harder way??
Now that is so very irresponsible!!!


Edited on, October 30, 2004, 9:13 AM GMT, by crickethorizon. [/quote]

great stats, it backs up ur case very well.
i think they were trying to please the "romzan" crowd!!!!

[observer]

Didn't quite have time to read all the posts but one caught my eye in relation to the number of boundaries scored in relation to total score. This highlights one particular issues that our players (not just the senior players either, right across our cricket) have.

One of the key differences between first grade cricket then first class cricket then test cricket is the number of error balls bowled, i.e the number of potential boundary balls.

The higher the standard the fewer bad balls you get as a batsmen. Our bowlers have improved to the point where we are bowling reasonably well and forcing the batting team to take plenty of singles in between boundaries. Our batsmen however have not yet developed the ability to work the ball around and put pressure back on the bowlers. There is nothing more frustrating for a bowler to bowl a good over and still go for 2 or 3 singles in an over, this frustration leads to errors and then balls are bowled where boundaries can be scored.

Given our inability to consistently (we do it sporadically) work the ball for ones and two's we do not apply enough pressure on the bowlers to force mistakes. They are human and crack under pressure, like anyone else. Instead we are currently in a mentality of survive, survive by blocking or leaving, and then it all become too much and we lash out at a good ball and sometimes it goes to the boundary and sometimes we get out.

By increasing the focus on rotating the strike and not allowing a bowler to pin a batsmen down for too many balls in succession, we increase the chance of the bowler erring and actually presenting balls to hit.

How do you work on strike rotation? Players need to develop the ability to manipulate thier hands, to change the angle of shots, to adjust tension in the grip to vary the pace of shots, to be looking to score rather than hitting and then looking if there is a run there.

A target we set with the U19's is % of scoring shots in an innings, doesn't matter the value of the shot, by balls scored off is important, as is dot balls bowled when in the field. If we can score of about 42% of balls when we bat and our bowlers achieve their target, we win the game.

In the world cup final agains Aust, i was confident at lunch, because it was the first time our batsmen had achieved this target (reached 44%) and i was confident our bowlers could reach their target as they had in nearly every game. It does not always work perfectly, but more often then not if you achieve that you will win the game.

Bushido tiger, you also made some very good comments, about shifting blame. You are spot on and that is part of the culture that needs to change sooner rather than later.

[cricketfan]

The coach has made some very good observations. The tendency to go for big shots off good balls is the root cause for the loss of most BD wickets. If we observe the run scoring of leading teams, we will find that most successful ODI batsmen milk the bowling ( i.e. take singles off most deliveries in an over) and go for big shots only when they get loose deliveries. These loose balls are bound to come because the singles coming off good deliveries frustrate the bowlers and make them bowl loose deliveries.

The advantage of rotating the strike, as the coach has mentioned, is that score board constantly ticks away and the bowler tends to become inaccurate and error prone. The BD batsmen bat just the other way. They try to hit boundaries off good deliveries and throw away their wickets and end up making the opposition bowlers look world class.

Thus it must be said that the BD bowlers have not observed the batting methods of opposition batsmen closely, and in any case they have not learnt to pick singles off good deliveries. So the plan for BD batsmen should be " single off good deliveries and boundaries off bad deliveries". Easier said than done, no doubt, but then having a plan is better than having no plan.

[rafiq]

Observer - what's frustrating to fans is that we see no evidence of similar strategies and goals being set for the senior team. Whatever goodwill Whatmore had built up is eroding. While you don't need to comment on Whatmore, can you at least shed some light on some of the technical goals being set for the national team. And if they aren't, then why not as obviously you have had success with the U-19 team - why can't some of that be copied by the national team?

[Ahmed_B]

Originally posted by observer
Given our inability to consistently (we do it sporadically) work the ball for ones and two's...

Thank you coach for your detailed views on this error inherent in their style.

Yes probably this is a very severe fault that is turing the whole thing around! For this inability of our batsmen:

-They take the whole pressure back on themselves
-Get anxious to play strokes for scoring runs.. hence get into risky shots
-Their innings soon dries out of runs and starts to limp!.. which I mentioned in another place as 'A Machine Without Sufficient Lubrication'

Probably it's not the lack of skills of our batsmen to Play strokes or paly a defensive stroke well.. rather this inability to keep their own innings well-saturated with runs with the help of 1's/2's/3's that simply gets them in panic and through away their wickets!!
:duh:
Do the batsmen themselves realize this problem in themselves ?.. are they wroking on it??

[Shish Ahmed]

Originally posted by observer
Didn't quite have time to read all the posts but one caught my eye in relation to the number of boundaries scored in relation to total score. This highlights one particular issues that our players (not just the senior players either, right across our cricket) have.

One of the key differences between first grade cricket then first class cricket then test cricket is the number of error balls bowled, i.e the number of potential boundary balls.

The higher the standard the fewer bad balls you get as a batsmen. Our bowlers have improved to the point where we are bowling reasonably well and forcing the batting team to take plenty of singles in between boundaries. Our batsmen however have not yet developed the ability to work the ball around and put pressure back on the bowlers. There is nothing more frustrating for a bowler to bowl a good over and still go for 2 or 3 singles in an over, this frustration leads to errors and then balls are bowled where boundaries can be scored.

Given our inability to consistently (we do it sporadically) work the ball for ones and two's we do not apply enough pressure on the bowlers to force mistakes. They are human and crack under pressure, like anyone else. Instead we are currently in a mentality of survive, survive by blocking or leaving, and then it all become too much and we lash out at a good ball and sometimes it goes to the boundary and sometimes we get out.

By increasing the focus on rotating the strike and not allowing a bowler to pin a batsmen down for too many balls in succession, we increase the chance of the bowler erring and actually presenting balls to hit.

How do you work on strike rotation? Players need to develop the ability to manipulate thier hands, to change the angle of shots, to adjust tension in the grip to vary the pace of shots, to be looking to score rather than hitting and then looking if there is a run there.

A target we set with the U19's is % of scoring shots in an innings, doesn't matter the value of the shot, by balls scored off is important, as is dot balls bowled when in the field. If we can score of about 42% of balls when we bat and our bowlers achieve their target, we win the game.

In the world cup final agains Aust, i was confident at lunch, because it was the first time our batsmen had achieved this target (reached 44%) and i was confident our bowlers could reach their target as they had in nearly every game. It does not always work perfectly, but more often then not if you achieve that you will win the game.

Bushido tiger, you also made some very good comments, about shifting blame. You are spot on and that is part of the culture that needs to change sooner rather than later.

Hi Richard,

I met you and the U19 team in Loughborough and Oakham i hope you and your family are ok, especially little Jack maybe he can one day play for Bangladesh and show how it's done. Can you say hello to the U19 boys for me, i bet they probably forgot who i was anyways.

All the best

[bourny3]

Richard McInness for Coach of the National team. After what he has done with the U19s he can do it with the National team.

[cricket_pagol]

I was reading Richard's article... I am curious about what Bushido tiger actually said...

Thanks Richard... it is very refreshing to read your professional views.