Team is Shaping Up, Needs to Learn How to Finish

[WarWolf]

Though most of the fans are really frustrated, I am happy with the way the team has been playing for last one year. We left those days far behind when we used to get out below 200 regularly and once in a while pushed the opponent on the wall. Now the very young team is playing good cricket almost every game. Due to lack of experience we are not able to finish the matches properly on a positive note. On the other hand, we must not forget that we are the biggest victim of poor umpiring for a long time.

Now look at the team.
We have a good opening pair now. Tamim is already a world class opener and Imrul is a good opener in Bangladeshi standard. I hope both of them will continue to improve.

Our No. 3 and No.4 positions are the places which hurt us most. We must find good mature batsmen for these two positions.

At No. 5, 6, 7 and 8 we have Shakib, Mushy, Riad and Nayeem. All of them are improving day by day and have all the signs to be top international standard players.

We have a good pace attack now with 3 pacers who can hit 140+ regularly. With Mash being fit and in form we will have a top pace attack.

Our spin dept is also a good one consisting of Shakib, Riyad, Naeem and Razzak.

All we need is to have two good matured batsmen at No.3 and 4 and we will be able to win matches regularly.

[Tigers_eye]

We must also understand this is cricket. Even the greats have bad days!! Gets out in single digit or in ducks!! We can't expect the boys to hit 50 in every match. With Maturity these close calls will soon become, "Yes" days!! The days of one day upset are soon diminishing. I like where the team is heading. There are still areas that the team needs to improve. Mainly strategy and implementing them. We still don't have an identity. Shakib is stamping one right now.

Go Bangladesh.

[NKVD]

Yes indeed.

GO BANGLADESH.

You are going to places.

The 3rd ODI may be an anti-climax. But that's good. It will get the boys to re-focus for the tests.

[Nadim]

Agree with you Warwolf vai......

-Need to find a batsman for number 3/4 be4 WC(even though mushy can take one of those place)
-Mushy must improve his keeping
-Rubel/Shafi need to handle properly
-Make shakib the permanent captain
- With all the respect to mash.....Mash shouldn't be call back until he lose weight and get 100% fit.
-Let Mash retire from Test cricket for good
-No ICLer's plz (we have seen, what they can do)
-And need few back up players, just incase

[Beamer]

Right on War Wolf.

[WarWolf]

We the fans have improved very rapidly in terms of expectations. Unfortunately the team needs a little bit more time to catch up in terms of performance. Give the team 1 year of time from now on, provided that they don't have to face dirty politics,they will start to deliver regularly inshallah. World Cup 2011 is the start of our new cricketing days.

[al Furqaan]

definitely...but i too am getting frustrated. a) we should have scored extra 10-15 runs b) umpires.

i am not going to complain about shakib's choice of death bowlers. that is part of the game, and he made the right decision, just didn't work out.

[AsifTheManRahman]

I didn't have a lot of expectations from the ODIs. I still expect us to lose 3 - 0, so anything better than that from here (from a rain-washed third ODI to a win) will be a bonus. In fact today's game was a bonus too.

Now in the Tests, I'd like to see a few centuries and maybe a draw, or even a tight enough fifth day finish where we don't quite make it.

[WarWolf]

The current team is the best in our cricketing history. In every game, at least 1/2 players scores 50+. Hundreds are not alien these days. We have a couple of bowlers who can take 3/4 wickets.

Most of the people are not happy with JS. But I am happy with him. His main problem is he is a simple guy, not a diplomat.

[AsifTheManRahman]

One positive is that the coach is finally learning the art of setting up a proper batting line-up. Zunaed dropped, Mushfiq moved up and...magic. Hopefully Aftab will be dropped soon too and more deserving players given the chance to showcase their skills.

[Ashraf-FTP]

We seriously need a death bowler. These seamers piss me off in the end overs. Its all about keeping your head cool in the end. But they do the opposite, throw full tosses which can be hit easily by using the pace of the ball and especially with the batting PP's usually in place. We need someone who can ball a mix of deliveries in the death. A fast one, mixed up with a yorker and then a slow one then a bouncer. We would have had a chance of winning if we had a bowler like that. I dont watch FC, but for people who do, do we have someone like that who is performing decent??

And I dont get all the fuss about 140k+. Whats the point of having someone bowl 140k+ wides?? I dont think there is any point in that. And Shahadat and Rubel (other than some flukes), thats all they do. I think Shafiul is a better prospect than them in line and length. Needs more experience. Its about time we bring in another experienced seamer into the team. And give these young guys some freedom to play in FC under good guidance. And not put pressure on them for international matches and media.

[Roni_uk]

ya just wait till the next match.

[Eshen]

Dropped catches, weak throws, keeping fumbles, no pace department what so ever - sorry, still not seeing any shape.

[WarWolf]

Originally Posted by Eshen
Dropped catches, week throws, keeping fumbles, no pace department what so ever - sorry, still not seeing any shape.

Yet we are competitive in almost every game, unlike before. Are not we?

[bura]

Originally Posted by Ashraf-FTP
We seriously need a death bowler. These seamers piss me off in the end overs. Its all about keeping your head cool in the end. But they do the opposite, throw full tosses which can be hit easily by using the pace of the ball and especially with the batting PP's usually in place. We need someone who can ball a mix of deliveries in the death. A fast one, mixed up with a yorker and then a slow one then a bouncer. We would have had a chance of winning if we had a bowler like that. I dont watch FC, but for people who do, do we have someone like that who is performing decent??

And I dont get all the fuss about 140k+. Whats the point of having someone bowl 140k+ wides?? I dont think there is any point in that. And Shahadat and Rubel (other than some flukes), thats all they do. I think Shafiul is a better prospect than them in line and length. Needs more experience. Its about time we bring in another experienced seamer into the team. And give these young guys some freedom to play in FC under good guidance. And not put pressure on them for international matches and media.

I totally agree with Warwolf. But Mr. Sarapova and Rubel are not in the same league and never will be! Mr. S. has no brain, he is not willing to learn (or has no capability) and has an ego as big as Bangabondhu Stadium. While ruble with some variations of pace and experience can be deadly. You have to understand the power of wicket taking deliveries. All the express bowlers all over the world are costly.

And Shafiul is an excellent prospect.

[Eshen]

Originally Posted by WarWolf
Yet we are competitive in almost every game, unlike before. Are not we?

On occasions, yes. But not every match. This team still have too many issues to regularly challenge G8 teams.

[bura]

Originally Posted by Eshen
Dropped catches, weak throws, keeping fumbles, no pace department what so ever - sorry, still not seeing any shape.

how about all the above and plus a 170/10 score and opposing team winning in 23 overs?

[Ashraf-FTP]

Originally Posted by Eshen
Dropped catches, weak throws, keeping fumbles, no pace department what so ever - sorry, still not seeing any shape.

Fielding- Like Harsha Bhogle said,the players need to play more physically active games and increase their fitness. Sports like soccer, rugby/football, swimming.

Keeping- this has been trouble since Pilot retired. Make pilot the keeping coach. I am sure he can find the perfect keeper like him. Keep Mushy as a batsman for #3.

I mentioned about pace depertment before. I do see a shape, but like before, players lose their focus too easily. So not sure how long this can hold up.

[Ashraf-FTP]

Originally Posted by bura
I totally agree with Warwolf. But Mr. Sarapova and Rubel are not in the same league and never will be! Mr. S. has no brain, he is not willing to learn (or has no capability) and has an ego as big as Bangabondhu Stadium. While ruble with some variations of pace and experience can be deadly. You have to understand the power of wicket taking deliveries. All the express bowlers all over the world are costly.

And Shafiul is an excellent prospect.

I agree bro. Shahadat is just a egofull "kid" from geram who thinks hes the best BD has got. And thinks bowling fast is all that matters.

All the express bowlers in the world are costly but they take wickets. Unlike our so called "express" who are not even express according to other international bowlers. BD "express" bowlers cant take wicket cause of line and length. And variation, not just fast balls way outside off stump.

[WarWolf]

Originally Posted by Eshen
On occasions, yes. But not every match. This team still have too many issues to regularly challenge G8 teams.

Give them another 1 year or so and see the outcome. The new generation is a lot more tougher in terms of all aspects of the game. We are no longer dependent of so-called Eid days.

[Eshen]

Originally Posted by bura
how about all the above and plus a 170/10 score and opposing team winning in 23 overs?

On pacer friendly pitches, that will happen too.

[WarWolf]

Originally Posted by Eshen
Make the pitches pacer friendly, that will happen too.

In the past, we used to get bundled regularly below 200 even on the batting favored tracks. Any way, I am not into any more argument. Everybody may have their own views.

[bura]

Originally Posted by Eshen
On pacer friendly pitches, that will happen too.

we did tour NZ recently.

[Eshen]

Originally Posted by WarWolf
Give them another 1 year or so and see the outcome. The new generation is a lot more tougher in terms of all aspects of the game. We are no longer dependent of so-called Eid days.

Really?!!! So how many matches we have won so far, against G8, on non-Eid days?

[Ashraf-FTP]

Originally Posted by bura
we did tour NZ recently.

And failed terribly, to put put it in one word