‘I have noticed that they [national players] have a tendency of not covering their off-stamp. That might be because of the sub-continent wickets though I can’t comment as I haven’t seen enough of them,’ Campbell told New Age on Sunday.
‘In the first week when I was here the players just played without covering the off-stamp and most of them nicked in the second slip.
‘We had a lot of practice to ensure that the batsman gets across and behind the ball while batting against faster bowlers in bouncy wickets,’ he said.
Campbell also found a serious a problem in running between the wickets of both national and academy batsmen, which he said need to be improved immediately.
‘I think it is one area that needs continual improvement.
‘Calling, backing up at the non-strikers end, running the first run first, communication between the batsmen in order to complete the running between the wickets are always important,’ he said.
This is something of a massive inditement on Jamie Siddons' 4 years as national batting coach who would always blame the pitch conditions to cover some of the failings to coach basics. The (national) batsmen do not move their feet around off stump and this makes them all vulnerable. The running between the wickets and calling (basic schoolboy skills) are also missing.
I recall reading that the support coaches implemented some running between the wicket drills after the NZ series last November when Siddons went back to Australia on one of his holidays for 10 days. Looking back, it does seem odd that the fielding and bowling coach did this as soon as the batting coach left.
Campbell has simply said what many observers already know, that BD batters are missing some basics skills to be successful. It also highlights why BD hasn't been able to be consistent in the batting department and that the 58 and 78 low scores at the WC were not flukes. The opposition simply have to bowl at the off stump.
I sincerely hope that when it comes to appointing national coaches, that the BCB actually recognize it is understanding how to improve basic skills like this that a coach needs to implement, and not a 'leave it alone' approach. I am unsure just how many more signs we all need to keep on proving that.
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