Great expectations from McInnes' second Bangladesh stint : CI

[Naimul_Hd]

Great expectations from McInnes' second Bangladesh stint

Mohammad Isam
August 1, 2012

Among the appointments of foreign coaches in Bangladesh this year, Richard McInnes' easily stands out, even counting the abrupt change in the senior team's coach in April. The point is, not many coaches return to a post, so McInnes' comeback as the head coach of Bangladesh's National Cricket Academy (NCA) for a two-year period has drawn plenty of interest in the country.

McInnes is realistic about why he is back in Bangladesh: to produce international-quality players. "My job is to produce players for the national team, and these players will play domestic cricket as well," McInnes told ESPNcricinfo. "Hopefully, as a byproduct of their time here (at the NCA), they'll dominate domestic cricket and get selected for the national team.

"My job is to provide very strong support to Richard Pybus (the national coach) and his team. I want to make sure we provide anything they need; players who aren't on tour for the different formats, they'll be getting ready here for their particular format, whether its Test, ODIs or Twenty20s. We'll have a very strong link between the national team and this place."

The seven years since 2005, when McInnes stepped down from his post of manager of Bangladesh's high performance unit, have seen many changes, the biggest being the increase in international wins and the emergence of a few more dependable players. Back then, he was the man in charge of the only available source of players for a Test team that had many revolving doors.

Now the academy, just like the high performance unit, is modeled after a finishing school for cricketers, from where they are just a step away from the Bangladesh A team. But spots in the national team are not completely guaranteed these days, even for those who are earmarked as special talents, simply because the selection panels nowadays won't punt on a 17-year-old 'genius'. The player must perform in domestic cricket as well, and McInnes' is someone who has knowledge of the country's first-class structure.

"The first-class system here needs some work from what I've been hearing," he said. "One of the challenges is the absence of quality fast bowling, and wickets where ball swings and bounces. These are the conditions the Bangladesh team tends to struggle with when they go overseas. That's not easily fixed because of the climatic and soil conditions.

"[For the cricketers] it is a little bit like the chicken and the egg: batsmen get criticised when they can't do well against fast bowling, but they don't get 6'4", 6'6" fast bowlers at home. We'll try and create some things [to aid them in this respect] here."

McInnes is hardly a fan of a quick evolution. He is appreciative of having a first-class system in place which will, for example, teach a batsman how to bat an entire day. "How do you train someone to bat for five to six hours in a Test match? You can't train them - that's where the first-class competition is really, really important. We need players to bat out a day in first-class cricket, come back the next day and bat till lunch on day two. We will try to get players to make big hundreds in first-class cricket."

His primary goal will be to prepare players for each spot in the national team, thereby increasing competition and raising the performance of the incumbents. "If we're all doing our job, we have two-three players for every position in the national team. [Then] there's real competition for the spots. Players who are in the national team know that they have to perform well to hold on to that spot.

"The thing that I bring [to the job] is making sure we're thorough, preparing across all areas. There's an advantage with a live-in programme [like the NCA's], we have a lot of time to do these things."

McInnes' is also pleased with the new facilities at his disposal. When he was with the high performance unit, he had spent many hours on the road during his daily commute to BKSP, the sports institute located 40km north of Dhaka. The NCA, on the other hand, built on the Shere Bangla National Stadium premises in Mirpur, comes with its own field and residential quarters.

Seeing players who worked with him at the high performance unit make the step up to the international level, has pleased him, McInnes said. "Eleven out of the 13 who played in the Asia Cup [in March] were in the programme. I was in India at the time, watching the matches, and I talked to Mushfiqur [Rahim, the Bangladesh captain] on Facebook. I was very proud of that, and I think a lot of those players understand what they need to do to be successful."

The high performance programme collapsed following McInnes' departure in 2005, and Shakib Al Hasan, in recent years, has often spoken of restarting it. However, when it first began, the cricketers were not too pleased with the tough training regimen in place, as well as the food that they were served. Now, almost every cricketer from those camps are now either playing for Bangladesh (Shakib, Mushfiqur, Tamim Iqbal), have played for the team (Alok Kapali, Naeem Islam, Shahadat Hossain, Shahriar Nafees) or are on the fringes, like Shamsur Rahman. And these players remember McInnes for the changes he brought about in Bangladesh cricket and the skills he made them develop.

This time around, McInnes will have to deal with the weightier expectations, fueled by the success he enjoyed during that last stint in the country. He will get his first taste of how much Bangladesh has changed since then when the NCA takes on the West Indies High Performance team in September.


Source: CI

[Naimul_Hd]

Liked this part very much.

His primary goal will be to prepare players for each spot in the national team, thereby increasing competition and raising the performance of the incumbents. "If we're all doing our job, we have two-three players for every position in the national team. [Then] there's real competition for the spots. Players who are in the national team know that they have to perform well to hold on to that spot.

We seriously lack back up players specially in opening slot, 2, 3 position. I really hope McInnes will find some gems like Shakib, Tamim, Mushy in those positions to fill.

BTW, good work Isam

[AsifTheManRahman]

Man with a very specific plan as always, I like. This could serve as a refresher for those who think he's so popular in BC just because he was the first coach to come here and discuss the game with fans. Not that his records don't speak for himself, but naysayers will be naysayers.

[AsifTheManRahman]

One day, when he's ready and Pybus has had enough, McInnes will be head coach of the national team. He must, we absolutely can't let go of the opportunity if/when it arises.

[Naimul_Hd]

Originally Posted by AsifTheManRahman
One day, when he's ready and Pybus has had enough, McInnes will be head coach of the national team. He must, we absolutely can't let go of the opportunity if/when it arises.

I think that day is Not too far away

[roman]

Great read. I literally got goose bumps thinking about 2-3 players fighting hard for one spot. It's not that I haven't heard this modhur bani before, but this time it is coming from a guy who has a proven record and who gave us players like Mushy, Shak and many others... Really excuted about him joining us again..

I can't believe I am saying this but thank you Kamal bhai..

[M.H.Rubel]

Just after joining the national team, Pybus said he want to make competition between players for post in national team. Now its been echoed by Mcinns. So they will work in collaboration? Lets see what happens.

[F6_Turbo]

However, when it first began, the cricketers were not too pleased with the tough training regimen in place, as well as the food that they were served.

I know this is written in the past tense...but it still pisses me off. Upset because they have to maintain discipline off the pitch

[AsifTheManRahman]

Originally Posted by F6_Turbo
I know this is written in the past tense...but it still pisses me off. Upset because they have to maintain discipline off the pitch

Nazimuddin is lucky he has a woman with a tiger's heart for a momma.

http://mail.banglacricket.com/alocho...ad.php?t=28219

A sissy of the cry-baby kind. There, I pissed you off some more.

[playmaker]

Originally Posted by F6_Turbo
I know this is written in the past tense...but it still pisses me off. Upset because they have to maintain discipline off the pitch

Amra nijeder kotha chinta kori, how many of us are willing to stop having rice and start having food rich in vitamins, calcium, proteins that are necessary for a fit body?

[AsifTheManRahman]

Originally Posted by playmaker
Amra nijeder kotha chinta kori, how many of us are willing to stop having rice and start having food rich in vitamins, calcium, proteins that are necessary for a fit body?

And why do you think most people here aren't professional sportsmen?

Btw, giving up bhaat isn't that hard. It's all in the head.

[F6_Turbo]

Originally Posted by playmaker
Amra nijeder kotha chinta kori, how many of us are willing to stop having rice and start having food rich in vitamins, calcium, proteins that are necessary for a fit body?

I'm not only willing but already am doing so and I wasn't even promised a career in international sports that would net me untold riches.

[playmaker]

Originally Posted by F6_Turbo
I'm not only willing but already am doing so and I wasn't even promised a career in international sports that would net me untold riches.

because they are a bunch of "bager bachcha" thats y.

Bagh jiboneo hobe na

[deshimon]

Originally Posted by playmaker
because they are a bunch of "bager bachcha" thats y.

Bagh jiboneo hobe na

lol, Ajibon jehetu era bagher bachcha e theke jabe, tai eder ador kore kore mathai tule rakhte hobe.

[Gowza]

this team of pybus and mcinnes could be what propels BD up their with the other test teams. BD are currently inconsistently up there, but these 2 could be that push that puts BD up with the others all the time.

[M.H.Rubel]

From todays Daily Star:

Passion brought me back'
Naimul Karim

After a successful stint with the under-19s and the High Performance Unit from 2003 to 2005, Richard McInnes has joined the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) once again -- this time as the head coach of the National Cricket Academy.

Having nurtured the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, the Australian is considered by many as one of the chief architects of the present day national squad. “I'm glad to be back here. My objective is pretty much similar to last time. I need to assist players and create a strong reserve team,” said McInnes.

McInnes, who'll be working alongside national coach Richard Pybus, hopes to make an even better impression in his second stint. “The training facilities at the academy are much better than before. The processes and systems around the facilities need to be fine-tuned though,” said McInnes.

A key figure behind development of the core strength of the national line-up, McInnes believes that it was a combination of both talent and good training that created the right attitude amongst the younger players. He said, “Players like Mushfiq and Shakib are driven to play well and they can perform in any environment. I was fortunate to train them. They trained to actually improve as opposed to just attending the training sessions.”

Stating an example of one of the changes that he had brought about during his last stint, he said, “I discouraged the boys to play against the younger boys at the academy. You won't get 12-year-olds bowling at you in Test cricket. That doesn't make you a better player. ”

As opposed to the new concept of specialising in only one version of the game, the Australian believes that a good player should be able to excel in all the formats. “If you look around the world, you'll find that the best players are the best players… they play well in all the three formats,” he said.

“There can be a few players who can be used based on the different formats, but the core team needs to be strong,” he adds.

Known for his strict training methods, McInnes has always believed in maintaining a disciplined structure, right from the players' nutrition to introducing physically strenuous training routines. A number of players from the current squad have given credit to the Australian for his unconventional techniques.

“There are a number of things that go towards making a good international player. The reason why I focus on the most basic aspects such as nutrition is because these are the easiest areas to progress in. You cannot ignore them,” he said.

“The domestic competition in Bangladesh isn't as strong as some of the other countries, so it's obviously going to take a longer time for the local players to be mentally strong. So if we can progress in some other areas, over time it can eventually help the players become more competitive in the long run,” adds McInnes.

The Australian stated that it was the passion for cricket in Bangladesh that brought him back to the country. “I don't think there's any country in the world that has more passion for cricket than Bangladesh,” he said.

Things have changed by a huge degree ever since the Australian resigned in 2005. Expectations have rocketed in the last seven years and the head coach of the NCA is bound to face a lot more pressure; only time can tell if Richard McInnes can be as successful as in his previous stint.

[jeesh]

He ll do a fine job. He knows the culture of the players. No substitute for experience. Done it before, and will do it again.

I hope we can provide him with the right support staff as well. We dont have to bring foreign coaches. Have some local coaches to help him out in bowling, batting and fielding.

[reyme]

McInnes has always been the right man for this job. I am glad he is back.