Why no Offside, V players? Whither Lefties?

[RazabQ]

Folks (Bhayera Tomar, Bonra Amar)

In my many years of playing cricket with Bangladeshis and watching the Tigers, I have noticed that we do not have any batsmen who is a gifted off-side player. Or one who is strong playing within the V. Or is a lefty (Rana excluded)

Think about it - since Atahar Ali, how many Bangladeshi batsman are able or willing to consistently can get on the front foot or back foot, with the leading shoulder automatically dipping and then driving with power and timing along the V or bisecting the cover or mid-off?

We have some who are very comfortable playing the kechi-marka cut shot. And some will attempt to square drive. But none who give the full face of the bat to the ball and forces it to the boundary.

Most of our batsmen are predominanly onside players. They like to shuffle across and then play it towards their left. And this in turn often leads to imbalance, LBWs, etc.

What to you think are the reasons? Coaching or lack there of? Low bounce - but wouldn't that encourage driving? Preponderance of right-handed inswing bowlers and off-spinners in formative level cricket?

As for the dearth of lefties, I just don't understand it. As a southpaw myself, I totally enjoy messing up a bowlers line & length everytime I go to bat (not that I accomplish much with that advantage). Yet I cannot recall a single top or middle order, lefty, Bangladeshi batsman.

When I watch a Ganguly, or Taufeeq Umar or A. Flower play, I so wish Bangladesh had a good left handed opener.

What could be the reason for this? The Islamic/cultural stigma about the "baam haat puchir jonno"? The fact that if you are lefty you always have to buy the gear and can't borrow others'?

Lets hear your thoughts on these two topics guys. With that darned rain, no play is going on anyway.

Razab

[oracle]

The other players can't figure out the lefties

Interesting topic Razab.


Only reason I have come across is that bowlers aren't used to bowling to the "southpaws". They find it difficult to adjust their line to the left-handers and as such they have a go at them. They also score at a quicker pace. Another observation is the character of their strokeplay. Not only bowling but from personal experience, I suspect to a certain degree it affects others in the field too.

I was wicketkeeping behind a lefty and it was just plain "awkward". It was more difficult to judge the path of the balls.
Although I have not heard about this situation elsewhere. It could be just my inadequacies.

[Edited on 27-2-2004 by oracle]

[Optimist]

This topic has been discussed before. Although most common explanation is that the parents encourage "right hand use", it did not prevent us from producing lots and lots of quality left-arm spinners. So I guess the answer lies elsewhere.

[Optimist]

As for the V-region, the answer is definitely the pitch and ground condition. The slow and low bounce pitch is not conducive to driving along the ground in the V-reigion. The ball does not come to the bat. Also due to the slow outfield the ball does not travel fast. So it is either lofted shot or cross-batted swap that yields you fours.