reverse_swing
December 13, 2006, 09:16 AM
It's hard to believe but, in a week's time, we will have played two one-day internationals in Bangladesh to kick-start a busy and important four months for Scottish cricket.The games against Bangladesh will be in
Chittagong and Dhaka, massive and intimidating cities with a fanatical cricket following. This is the toughest possible test against a side who, after beating Australia in Cardiff last year, have developed considerably and are no longer considered the whipping boys of world cricket. Bangladesh have just demolished Zimbabwe in a one-day series, while we have been training indoors each week, doing what we can with the facilities available. The training surface will be a far cry from the conditions in Bangladesh this week, but we have a few days to adjust before our first one-day international at Chittagong on Friday. How we prepare and adapt in those few days will be crucial.
In my 96 caps for Scotland, I've learned that if there is one characteristic we have in abundance it is the ability to adapt quickly. We've played cricket in the sapping heat of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, on unresponsive pitches geared for the home teams, but we have always won.
Granted, the likes of UAE, Canada and Namibia are not in the class of the current Bangladesh team, but if each player is at their best, we'll always be competitive no matter who the opposition. We've been able to beat county teams on a regular basis, so there is no reason why we can't beat Bangladesh.
I don't know a lot about Bangladesh right now. All I know is that they are a much-improved side from when we beat them a couple of years back at the Grange. Their batsmen, like most sub-continent sides, are very wristy. This gives them the freakish ability to manufacture shots from deliveries most batsmen would defend.
Field placing will be important and bowlers need to have a few tricks up their sleeve. As there will be little seam movement, having the skill to take the pace off the ball and mix up the length will be vital. Our spin bowlers will also play a big part on the dry, dusty wickets. It's going to be a difficult tour, but our objective is to win both games.
Our preparation for the next four months has been meticulous. Over the past 10 weeks, each player has had food and exercise diaries to fill out each week. Our weight and hydration levels have been monitored regularly and our fitness coach Andy Jackson has given each player strength and fitness programmes to work on.
It's a step up from anything I have done before. I'm a naturally big fella who loves food; my weight during the Scottish winter can balloon up to 106kg. With the new fitness regime, I've managed to keep my weight down to 100kg, which is still around 5kg below my 'fighting weight'. I would expect to sweat off maybe half-a-stone in Bangladesh, before putting it back on again over the festive season. A few gut-busting sessions in the gym and I'll be ready for the next tour to the UAE in early January.
There's no doubt about it; we've reached a new level of professionalism. In order for us to progress as a cricketing nation, we've had to follow the lead of a team like Australia who are always setting new standards on and off the field. While we don't have the luxury of full-time contracts and training facilities enjoyed by test playing nations, we have committed players willing to make necessary sacrifices to help take Scottish cricket as far as they possibly can.
Paul Hoffman, the Uddingston bowler, will play for Scotland against Bangladesh on December 15 and 17
Source>> (http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/76426.html)
Chittagong and Dhaka, massive and intimidating cities with a fanatical cricket following. This is the toughest possible test against a side who, after beating Australia in Cardiff last year, have developed considerably and are no longer considered the whipping boys of world cricket. Bangladesh have just demolished Zimbabwe in a one-day series, while we have been training indoors each week, doing what we can with the facilities available. The training surface will be a far cry from the conditions in Bangladesh this week, but we have a few days to adjust before our first one-day international at Chittagong on Friday. How we prepare and adapt in those few days will be crucial.
In my 96 caps for Scotland, I've learned that if there is one characteristic we have in abundance it is the ability to adapt quickly. We've played cricket in the sapping heat of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, on unresponsive pitches geared for the home teams, but we have always won.
Granted, the likes of UAE, Canada and Namibia are not in the class of the current Bangladesh team, but if each player is at their best, we'll always be competitive no matter who the opposition. We've been able to beat county teams on a regular basis, so there is no reason why we can't beat Bangladesh.
I don't know a lot about Bangladesh right now. All I know is that they are a much-improved side from when we beat them a couple of years back at the Grange. Their batsmen, like most sub-continent sides, are very wristy. This gives them the freakish ability to manufacture shots from deliveries most batsmen would defend.
Field placing will be important and bowlers need to have a few tricks up their sleeve. As there will be little seam movement, having the skill to take the pace off the ball and mix up the length will be vital. Our spin bowlers will also play a big part on the dry, dusty wickets. It's going to be a difficult tour, but our objective is to win both games.
Our preparation for the next four months has been meticulous. Over the past 10 weeks, each player has had food and exercise diaries to fill out each week. Our weight and hydration levels have been monitored regularly and our fitness coach Andy Jackson has given each player strength and fitness programmes to work on.
It's a step up from anything I have done before. I'm a naturally big fella who loves food; my weight during the Scottish winter can balloon up to 106kg. With the new fitness regime, I've managed to keep my weight down to 100kg, which is still around 5kg below my 'fighting weight'. I would expect to sweat off maybe half-a-stone in Bangladesh, before putting it back on again over the festive season. A few gut-busting sessions in the gym and I'll be ready for the next tour to the UAE in early January.
There's no doubt about it; we've reached a new level of professionalism. In order for us to progress as a cricketing nation, we've had to follow the lead of a team like Australia who are always setting new standards on and off the field. While we don't have the luxury of full-time contracts and training facilities enjoyed by test playing nations, we have committed players willing to make necessary sacrifices to help take Scottish cricket as far as they possibly can.
Paul Hoffman, the Uddingston bowler, will play for Scotland against Bangladesh on December 15 and 17
Source>> (http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/76426.html)