It's for Tushar's taking
Mohammad Isam
With the day's practice almost over, fielding coach Salahuddin was putting up one skier after another towards Tushar Imran, the last man in the dapper coach's radar. “You can't expect them to come to you,” said Salahuddin to the talented middle-order batsman, who was visibly waning after a tough day's workout at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.
But he had enough breath, after his stint under those 20 or so high catches, to admit that the tour for which he is working hard for is quite big, but not make-or-break big.
“I want to be part of this setup for a longer period of time. Hopefully, I can get a big knock that will ease the pressure. That is what I am looking for,” said Tushar after morning's training session of the Tigers, who preparing for this month's tour of New Zealand.
“It will be a vital tour because I would also like to establish my place in the Test side.”
That big knock has long been elusive to Tushar. Two fifties in 39 one-day internationals is mediocre collection for a batsman of his quality. Both those knocks came early in his career and since then, nothing has gone right for Tushar at the big stage, although he has become a mainstay in local cricket and has done exceedingly well for Bangladesh A.
As his teammates started gathering their gears under the pleasant winter afternoon sun, Tushar explained that he took up the responsibility of batting at the crucial number three position during the Tigers' tour of Sri Lanka in July but had failed.
“I have been in and out for so long with little guarantee for place in my earlier days in the Bangladesh team. But I disappointed myself when given the opportunity in Sri Lanka, having had a few good years in domestic cricket and for the A team,” said the 24-year-old batsman, who went through all the drills coach Jamie Siddons had prepared for his new charges on the third day of practice.
For most of the batsmen, Siddons had a session each in the centre-wicket and one in the indoors nearby. The centre-wicket practice has drawn most attention as the net bowlers, attired in New Zealand's black, bowled from 18 yards. There was a certain sense of excitement from some when wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim wore one on his helmet. There were some miscued hooks and pulls but it was heartening to see that the batsmen were adjusting well, especially skipper Mohammad Ashraful.
Siddons is making sure that no stone is unturned as far as preparation goes. A bowling machine set 15-20 yards away from a hard, marble-top surface with an upturned table (doubling as a slanted bat) near where a batsman would stand to face an 80mph delivery. An attendant lets a ball through the machine that pitches on that surface and hits the face of the table, resulting in slip catches. Siddons surely is well aware of Bangladesh's poor catching.
Tushar seems to have understood that, apart from fielding well, the team also needs a batsman of his experience to take up seaming challenge that waits in New Zealand.
“I know that a big responsibility will be on me and Ashraful to take care of the innings and I think that I am to belong here, I must score runs,” said Tushar, not breathless anymore.
Source>>