Is Ashraful getting better in ODIs after relieved of captaincy duties?

[Miraz]

Statistics suggest that Ashraful is coming of age and performing consistently after relieved of captaincy duties. His batting average is a respectable 34.92 with 1 century and 4 fifties. His bowling average is also an impressive 17.00. This stat is for the last 12 months. so it should not be considered as one off performance. I hope he can maintain this consistency for the next 12 months. We have some very important series around the corner.

Records type all-round analysis [change type]

View career summary [change view]

Start of match date greater than or equal to 1 Jan 2009

Captaincy not as captain

Ordered by default (ascending)

Career averages

	Mat	Runs	HS	Bat Av	100	Wkts	BBI	Bowl Av	5	Ct	St
unfiltered	153	3215	109	24.17	3	15	3/26	32.60	0	31	0	Profile
filtered	14	454	103*	34.92	1	4	2/28	17.00	0	4	0

[Zeeshan]

Yes and no. Yes he is although he is kind of losing his magical touch and many will hate me for saying this but his ability to play the "natural game"....

[Eshen]

Well, Ash is no more the X factor that brought us sporadic wins in past. But I will be still happy if he can be more consistent by being cautious. Still too early to pass any judgement on his consistency though, the minnow bashing in last year does not prove anything either way.

[BD-Shardul]

He has become consistent in churning out at least one 50 in each series.

[Fazal]

I think he plays better when all odds are against him.
A captain is an automatic selection.

When Captaincy was gone, he felt the pressue. Plus more experienced players in the bench gave him more job insecurity signal. That is forcing him to play more causious start and delay his carefree so called natural game.

So I say its all pressure, that is doing the trick. When presuure is reduced, he goes back to his usual form. That may explain why he start well in a series and then vanish for the rest of the series.

[Purbasha T]

Whether it was captaincy or not, I can't tell. But it's good to see he's taking the initiative to make things happen himself. Being off form is one thing, and becoming heedless is another which, it seems, has changed recently. Not that he really has become super consistent, but if compared to his early career, it's certainly better. So hoping for the best.

[Zeeshan]

Originally Posted by Fazal
I think he plays better when all odds are against him.
A captain is an automatic selection.

When Captaincy was gone, he felt the pressue. Plus more experienced players in the bench gave him more job insecurity signal. That is forcing him to play more causious start and delay his carefree so called natural game.

So I say its all pressure, that is doing the trick. When presuure is reduced, he goes back to his usual form. That may explain why he start well in a series and then vanish for the rest of the series.

Why does people compare natural game with carefree? When someone says that ballerina is dancing naturally or that violinist playing naturally - does it mean they are playing carefree ebro thebrolly? Jeezus!

[Eshen]

Originally Posted by Fazal
So I say its all pressure, that is doing the trick. When presuure is reduced, he goes back to his usual form. That may explain why he start well in a series and then vanish for the rest of the series.

Yeah, that's seems to be his pattern so far

[cricman]

I just want this approach to be taken in the Test Arena ... India and England are in a Major Surprise.

Anyways he played him self into form yesterday he timing so much better in the 2nd half of his innings, hitting everything hard at the end

[nycpro96]

Ashraful has all the talent and skill in the world. I think he has started to perform better and better after relief of captaincy. I hope he starts playing more knocks identical to today's knock. Who knows what can happen?

[Zeeshan]

But I fully agree on the part that Ash plays better when odds are stacked up against him/team. He concentrates more. But then again, don't we all? It's human nature. I guess we have to play our skins out as if a gun is pointed to our head next time.

[Equinox]

Hmm I found this on the front page...
"Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful on his way to a half century against Sri Lanka, Tri-series, SBNS"

[Zeeshan]

Originally Posted by Equinox
Hmm I found this on the front page...
"Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful on his way to a half century against Sri Lanka, Tri-series, SBNS"

Freudian slip by whoever is in charge of photos? I know Fazal mama is not one.

[Miraz]

Originally Posted by Equinox
Hmm I found this on the front page...
"Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful on his way to a half century against Sri Lanka, Tri-series, SBNS"

It reads "Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful on his way to a half century against Sri Lanka, Tri-series, SBNS"

[nsd3]

Ashraful is getting better, that's for sure. But whether it's because of the removal of captaincy burden or not - this needs in depth analysis. He's concentrating on ball by ball innings building (using cricket brain) rather than rash shots for 4 or 6 every ball. Many have said letting Ash curb his shots was not the right idea - but that has actually resulted in us creating thread like this one. We can now say "Ashraful getting better".

Looking at the circumstances around the Team it seems that removing the Captaincy burden may have eased some pressures off Ashraful. In BD culture part of one's mind usually gets involved with what people around us are saying about us. "Pache loke kichu bole". He had to come out of using 2 minds (one for cricket and one for people around me) while playing for the team. Removal of captaincy burden certainly have gone a long way of ensuring Ash doesn't get some (not all) undesired focus. I remember McInnes was explaining in 2005 that "The problem with Bangladeshi players is that most of them are externally motivated" (Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/2005/05/31/d50531040428.htm). The fame, prizes and praises are usually seen as the main motivational factor for our players to perform well. But we needed to perform well just because we want to WIN - that should be installed in our cricketer's minds. I believe, Removal of captaincy, shaping of Shakib, Rokibul, Tamim, Mushfiq as dependable batsmen - all have contributed to having less pressure on Ashraful. These all have a combined effect on "Ashraful getting better".

[Equinox]

Originally Posted by Miraz
It reads "Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful on his way to a half century against Sri Lanka, Tri-series, SBNS"

Lol I think I should go to sleep.

[al Furqaan]

ashraful is an enigma...of course we all pray that he ceases to be one. but he is the most talked about and will be until the day his career is over.

is ash maturing?

reasons to say yes:

- never bashed minnows, does so now - although still struggles against zimbabwe (only two 50+ in last 10 games against them).
- batting average has improved slowly but steadily (from 16 to 24), with a plateau in strike rate indicating he's not just blocking balls to last longer at the crease
- plays a longer, if more boring innings, more often these days really starting with 2008's Kitply Cup...still has occaisional brain farts the most heinous (IMO) being first ODI vs ZIM in January 2009 and Ireland dismissal in T20 WC.
- perhaps most potent: last two years and 25+ innings of DPL have fetched him batting averages of 41 and 37, respectively. has he ever done this before (my guess is "no")?
- before, ash played a "responsible" knock once every fourth or fifth innings, and succeeded every fourth or fifth attempt at a responsible knock. nowadays, he attempts cautious knocks at least every other game, and succeeds about every other try --> 5 fifty-pluses in last 14 outings.

reasons to say no:

- 8 innings against zimbabwe he struggled, with 4 bulawayo innings being on the flattest of tracks...passed 20 just once or twice in those 8 innings.
- we've always seen him score just to secure his place in the side

in my opinion, the single biggest problem, and the most frightening is the last "no" reason. if, key word if, ashraful corrects this, then he will be a great player, at least for us.

the only possible remedy, is for ash to constantly have siddons pressuring him with being dropped no matter how well he's been playing. but even that won't work for obvious reasons.

the fact of the matter is BD team is slowly improving, but at the same time we're not too good for him yet, which is why when alok, aftab, SN, were all expendable at some point, ashraful never was.

[Beamer]

He is still playing out of his position IMO. I think he is a natural no.4. The burden of captaincy had its effects on many great batsmen, let alone some one like Ash. I hope he continues from this innings and have a great year in store for us.

[Eshen]

Originally Posted by al Furqaan
the only possible remedy, is for ash to constantly have siddons pressuring him with being dropped no matter how well he's been playing. but even that won't work for obvious reasons.

IMO, Siddons is taking a better approach - letting Ash know he is not all that important to the team anymore (which is true btw).

[al Furqaan]

Originally Posted by Eshen
IMO, Siddons is taking a better approach - letting Ash know he is not all that important to the team anymore (which is true btw).

that could also work...its all about mind games with ash.

[kalpurush]

I wasn't not so sad yesterday because of Ash's wonderful innings.

[BANFAN]

The boy had been working hard amidst all the ninduks and he has changed his way of game. Many people were pointing different things at him and concluded that he will never learn, as if it was just memorizing a few points from a book. He had to change his game completely and that's not any player will try, only greats like him can try that & succeed. Give him the credit.

[simon]

Ya, Ash doesn't play too many shots nowadays but deals with singles.
This can surely improve his bttng.
Also not being the captain helps him too.

[mafizraju]

I do not know about all these in depth analysis. Its simple for me - Siddons has put considerable pressure on him, his position was under threat this time around, and above all Siddons is trying to teach him a trick or two. After playing almost 150 ODIs if a balsman doesnot perform, he is of no good use and its time that he retires or get kicked out.

Dont get me wrong. I love seeing him play. But he must improve his game. avg of 34 is no good for him. He needs to push his career avg beyond 35 to bring some sort of respectability. And hence it time that he starts averaging in 50s or at least in high 40s.

[zainab]

I dont know if Ash still enjoys playing cricket, he is still a brilliant player, but an enigma, he is a mixture of personalities and I myself dont know when the right one will click, maybe, never. So, for the time being, we have to accept him as he is. IMO, BD cricket will not be the same without him.
Many fans abroad know about BD cricket because of Ash.