by Junal A. Chowdhury
Gaining positives out of matches is still very much part of Whatmore?s strategy. He uses it to help raise morale of the team, both individually and collectively, to a higher level. A lot of the present day cricket is psychological and Whatmore is a champion in that department, which makes him to be a pivotal asset to the ongoing development of Bangladesh cricket.
Whatmore has done an exceptional job in trying to lift the morals of the players. It was his initial task when he took over the job to improve individual performances. This involved making them mentally and physically stronger. One cannot stop at a stage and then move on to another objective. We still have to improve individually and that is a long process. Whatmore?s analysis of other teams are only beneficial to our players, because it shows the level of competitiveness our players have to reach, thus setting individual targets. This is a process in overcoming the mental block that most of our players still seem to have.
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Ashraful kept his head high
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We do have potential as Whatmore clearly pointed out, but what we really need to do is go as a team combining all individual efforts together. Factors like having consistency in the line-up and order as well as in the individual performance, must take some time and cannot be based on only a handful of matches. These things take time to accomplish, and what we are witnessing is a transitional period through which our player's morale being improved. For a year on since Dav Whatmore took this job and slowly we will see them developed into a fine team. We have crossed about the halfway point now and slowly but surely moving up. We just can't hurry progress.
Shifting Ashraful up in the batting order, may seem like a failed experiment at times but this is definitely one to observe. Because it is only consistently playing in that batting order that will help transform Ashraful from his current state to a class-act. Although Cricket and Football are two totally different sports, risk is necessary in both of them. I say this because a football talent may not have been known if he was not part of an experiment at some point.
Thierry Henry, for those who do not know him, is an exceptional world-class football player now, but he may not have been. In his early years in football he started off as a winger. He had so much talent and potential, he could not express it by playing in that position. It was only when he was shifted to becoming a striker that he was able to convert this potential into personal triumph. Obviously at first it was difficult as he had to adjust, but it was his consistent playing in that particular position that made him to succeed to where he is now.
The same goes for Ashraful too. Whatmore sees his potential and he is still young, why not take the risk to experiment in a new role. Of course he would have hard times adjusting to this new position with its inherent level of pressure, but that only lasts for a short while. Constantly playing in that order would enable Ashraful to personally see out and experiment with his skills and adjust to such conditions and pressures.
?It is a lengthy process, where being patient is the key. With more time it will eventually pay-off.?
The author is a distinguished member of banglacricket forum and goes by the nick "Bangla Mostan" - editors