Stifling creativity

[Zeeshan]

How much latitude should the players exactly be given to experiment on International arena?

Such smug, egoistical assertions as: "national squad is not your baaper shompotti (father land)" coming from fans don't help much. Further ingenious circulas rationale, such as, a batsman getting out while playing late cut shot or an Ashscoop (or Dilscoop for that matter), or reverse sweep or going for three consecutive sixes, invariantly evokes repsonses from the fans such as: "Why attempt those shots, if you cannot play them?" or a bitter and snide: "You are not Gayle" can perhaps be forgiven coming from fans. But when commies, such as Shamim et Athar junta, begins to evoke these exact feelings that "you already hit a six in the first ball of the o-bah, why go for another one" deems to raise concern.

First of all, yes international arena CAN be for experimenting. You don't learn to swim without getting your feet wet and sometimes it's better to chuck the three year old toddler in the middle of the pond. If a personal note is permitted, when I got promoted from dishwasher to the grill, an anal retentive comment such as "If you want to work at the front, then you must come here prepared knowing how to work at the front." The hell.

Most of the human rationale such as the ones mentioned are every bit faulty and knowing out cultural oppression to pounce on a player and throw them to the lions for slight unis-bish errors or to put in same row as criminals of war tribunal is reprehensible.

Siddons, on the one hand may have transformed Tamim's career with improved batting techniques, but has caused an asset like Ashraful to implode, losing his touch, stifling his natural game, after barred from experimenting laterally.

What worries me if the new coach will further check the carte blanche that top players should naturally have. Gayle, as much as he may be blessed with superior hand-eye and physique and built, IS great because of the fact that he is taken off leash to be that great. So much for predicativity. He did mention that he was depressed and he 'expressed' himself in the field, and while our players may not have that self-control to channel their frustration on field, the constant nagging and bickering by the press doesn't help either.

So coaches can do more damage than good if they don't give the players their personal space to play and experiment as they wish. Sure Tamim has been proselytized from making the so called "silly mistakes" but at what cost? Sluggish strike rate in spite of his 4 fifties? The player who made a back to back versus England being now benched? Is this the mark of a Wisden player who gets thrown in the back burner for not living up to explosive potential?

I am not saying players should not have to justified for their actions or poor shot slection, but knowing Lotus Inc, his affiliations with some influences from no-nonsense, stoic Sidvision, AND our cultural backlash to think outside the box egging the players and scrutinizing some goddamn color of water in a cup is sure another ludicrous step that slows the whole national team down instead of evolutionary progress like a Gayle 100, Watson 186 or Sehwag 175.

You want the snake to break but the stick to remain unbroken? You want the players to perform at the top level yet at an irritating bickering would point at the slightest mistake of an unorthodox shot selection saying "you are not Mr. or Mrs. x"...you cannot eat your halua and have ti too at the same time.

Of course, as one of my cousin in Canada pointe dit out, when a top level openers who plays at the front scene like Tamim and Kayes msut at least have this much ounce of sanity to know where a players stand and what shots to play, instead of the credit that we lay-fans like to give them for assuming from our arm chair "ez" chair that they must be some dimwits.

[Sohel]

Guys like Miandad, Gayle, Sehwag, Malinga and Shakib are forces of nature who get away with unorthodox methods and technique because they are supremely and unusually gifted. Most guys are not and the combination orthodox methods and technique neither stifle nor hamper their "creativity" in any way. In fact, that combination helps them harness whatever creativity they have and creates the opportunity to apply and express themselves through consistent performance. Then again, as batters they have to sight the ball well before any of that can happen, and if they can sight ball, have the intelligence and the stomach to play the right high percentage shot according to match situation. Bowlers need desire more than anything else and ALL NEED TO WORK HARD ON THEIR OWN to become better. So no hope for talentless Rokibul or Nazimuddin (can't see), talented AAA (idiots and drama queens), or useful Aumi (can't stomach the pressure) and those types of players at the highest level of the game.

[mar umpire]

If they can back it up with results I'm not too concerned with how "unorthodox" it may be

Score more runs than the opposition and you're set

[TimAus]

players need to learn their own game. Not everyone will have a perfect technique like Sachin. They need to work out what works for them and play to their strengths. Guys like Gayle, Sehwag and Dilshan will rely on attack. Guys like Shiv and Katich will be just as unorthadox but completely different in style. I think for Bangladesh this will come with players gaining more experience. They are still a very young team.

What will help this though is an improvement in First Class domestic cricket so that the experimentation can take place there and not in the International game. You see players from England for example come to the international scene and look like seasoned veterans, that won't happen in Bangladesh till their domestic structure improves a lot. We seem to be seeing more and more players with good skills emerging, the talent is growing, the competition needs to grow with it.

[shuziburo]

Not everyone deserves the same amount of freedom. Some are masters of improvisation, others should stick to the tried-and-true approaches. A good coach knows how to handle each player.

[Maysun]

A player should know his own limitations and exercise his experimentations accordingly.

[Gowza]

Some good points, as said not all players should have the freedom. Bottom line is if you score runs then it's fine but if you don't then coach will be looking for ways to improve your technique to reduce the holes in your game which get you out. Ashraful for example didn't score the runs so coach tried to improve technique and temperament but shakib did score runs and his technique and temperament weren't really messed with.