Siddons criticises Ashraful’s captaincy

*reverse_swing* · #1 June 3, 2009, 08:43 PM

Azad Majumder . Nottingham

Bangla-desh coach Jamie Siddons is not among the best fans of Mohammad Ashraful's captaincy and he made it quite clear on a number of occasions. The latest criticism came on Wednesday when Siddons questioned his field placing in a warm-up match and his tendency to take the ball.
Talking to Bangladeshi reporters at Hotel Park Plaza in Nottingham, Siddons said he was unhappy to see Ashraful to take the ball against Sri Lanka a day earlier, when there were other bowlers to use.
'I am not happy with Ash (Ashraful) bowling. I keep trying to tell him not to bowl but he likes bowling. We have got to have a debate on that this week. We have got better bowlers than him in our side. So he doesn't need to bowl,' said Siddons.
Ashraful came ahead of regular bowlers Sakib al Hasan and Abdur Razzak as second change against Sri Lanka and bowled medium pace instead of his usual leg-spin to concede nine runs in his only over.
'He loves bowling. I think he might have had some success in a match of the last Twenty World Cup. So, he thinks he can do it every time,' said Siddons apparently referring to a game against Pakistan in a four-nation tournament in Kenya when Ashraful had his best Twenty20 bowling figure of 3-42.
Ashraful frequently used himself as a bowler in the following event, the inaugural Twenty20 Cup, but had little success. He conceded 55 runs against West Indies, a match that Bangladesh won but only riding on his bat. In Bangladesh's last three Twenty20 overs, Ashraful, however, did not bowl.
Siddons was also critical of his field placing especially in the dying moments of the match against Sri Lanka. Rubel Hossian bowled the last over with Sri Lanka needing just seven runs. But Siddons believed it would have been difficult for Sri Lanka to score those runs with Ashraful being slightly careful of his field placing.
'Rubel bowled a yorker outside the off-stump and we did not have a deep cover,' Siddons said referring to the third ball of the over that effectively sealed the fate of the game when Angelo Mathews struck a boundary through the extra cover.
'We didn't really have a set plan for the bowlers to bowl. They are bowling, slow ball, yorker, bouncer in one over to the same field. We need to have a better plan,' said Siddons adding that he has already talked to Ashraful about it.
'I spoke to him yesterday (Tuesday). He was under pressure too. Maybe Rubel was not supposed to bowl that ball. I am not sure. It's not a big deal but we have to make sure in the next match that it doesn't happen in the last over,' said the Australian.
Siddons said he and the leadership group of the team need to talk more to solve the problem. The team management had formed a leadership group in January to help Ashraful make better decisions. The members of the group are: Ashraful, his deputy Mashrafee bin Murtaza, Sakib al Hasan, Roqibul Hassan and Mushfiqur Rahim.
'They (the members of the leadership group) had a conversation before the third last over that Mash (Mashrafee) bowled. But it did not work as well as we hoped. But I think they are discussing things. I think the bowling coach, the captain, the bowlers and myself need to do a bit of more planning,' said Siddons.

Newagebd

One World · #2 June 3, 2009, 09:00 PM

Wow, its good to find management is thinking and they all are going down the wire.
That's how a team should approach. Professionalism is brewing.

al Furqaan · #3 June 3, 2009, 09:04 PM

i too am not a fan of ashraful bowling in T20s or ODIs, he's too damn expensive. those wickets aren't worth it.

he can bowl the odd over in tests though.

*AsifTheManRahman* · #4 June 3, 2009, 09:05 PM

Unnecessary leakage. Why tell off the captain in public right before a big game?

Then again, probably no harm done.

Jesus87 · #5 June 3, 2009, 09:06 PM

Jamie Siddons Rock

Ash shouldn't have bowled, I totally agree with Siddons. Also, Mash shouldn't have bowled the 17th over. The fielding placement was terrible, Ash needed to converse more with Rubel, tell him where to ball. Mash needs to support Rubel, it's good that Siddons is criticizing Ash, he'll definitely learn from his mistakes.

Russell2k7 · #6 June 3, 2009, 09:09 PM

"I keep trying to tell him not to bowl but he likes bowling," great this will be my new siggy.

Zeeshan · #7 June 3, 2009, 09:13 PM

Agree with Asif vai. Why make it all public instead of taking it to the board?

smh

Farhad · #8 June 3, 2009, 09:44 PM

This interview is making me question the BCB's faith in him. Why air your teams dirty laundry in public? This is nothing that cant be discussed privately. Also, its been a day since the game and he still doesnt know whether the yorker was planned? This and a number of other interviews he's given just doesnt seem to indicate that he's actively involved in the decision making of the team...

Gowza · #9 June 3, 2009, 09:47 PM

well if siddons has been telling ash that others should be bowling ahead of him and ash hasn't been listening then siddons needs to try another method to try and get him to listen. maybe if it's made public someone will say something to ash or that ash reads and it will trigger him to start listening to siddons or at least start he might start thinking a bit more about his decisions and what he does. it should be done in private at first but if that doesn't work then other measures have to be taken.

PoorFan · #10 June 3, 2009, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gowza
well if siddons has been telling ash that others should be bowling ahead of him and ash hasn't been listening then siddons needs to try another method to try and get him to listen. maybe if it's made public someone will say something to ash or that ash reads and it will trigger him to start listening to siddons or at least start he might start thinking a bit more about his decisions and what he does. it should be done in private at first but if that doesn't work then other measures have to be taken.

This must be the case as Siddons claimed, and he did what it needed. Lets see how Ash and his other leadership members, as well as management get things together. Few issues have been identified, now its time work with, thats the whole point.

cricman · #11 June 3, 2009, 10:04 PM

I see he picked up some of Booka's Bad Habits as well

jahidus200 · #12 June 3, 2009, 10:08 PM

Jammie is 100 percent right

Imteaz · #13 June 3, 2009, 10:13 PM

If Siddons is unhappy, he is not supposed to criticize his captain to media. It should be within dressing room.

Gowza · #14 June 3, 2009, 10:16 PM

i find it quite scary that BD has a captain who disregards the advice of the coach and who knows who else and just bowls because he's had a bit of success and likes to bowl. ashraful either doesn't care enough to put the team first, overrates himself as a bowler or just doesn't have a good cricket brain, none of those qualities are ones that a captain should have.

Rifat · #15 June 3, 2009, 10:56 PM

it is very encouraging to see Ashraful likes to bowl. however, as Gowza said, put your team first before the interest of yourself... i think Ashraful needs to bowl but not international yet...why doesn't he bowl in the nets on practice matches or in domestic league and see how much he improves!

BANFAN · #16 June 3, 2009, 11:00 PM

We have a coach, who came up with weird instructions in the past and the team had to follow those even if those were crappy.

Now then all those craps are thrown into the waste basket in natural process, coach is running short of ideas to keep himself attached to the success of the team. This silly complain from the coach is just an effort to take credit if the team does well and make the captain a escape goat if the team doesn't do well.

I don't think he has the moral ground to have any influence on the team, after all his crappy ideas have gone to docks. Team has learnt to do things in their way. There is no harm Ash trying a over in the practice match, specially while the primary bowlers are being thrashed.

Murad · #17 June 3, 2009, 11:01 PM

He is criticizing Ash for bowling an over and not placing a fielder for that specific delivery of Rubel. But he is not critizing mash for bowling full-tosses and short balls at the 18th over? why?

Mash needs to face some criticisms like this, otherwise he will never learn.

Buchanoner chela er kas theke aar ki e ba ashsa kora jai!!! jaake like kore taake niye kisui bolbena..ar jake like korena take niye ichcha moto bolbe!!

He could have said it privately or during the team meeting. Why make these things public?? Only idiots can do such thing!

ma_o_mati · #18 June 3, 2009, 11:21 PM

no good...i hope it doesnt result in clash between the coach and captain...hope it doesnt effect the team...siddons should've talked to ash and then management and tried to keep it behind the doors...ya, i see its ashraful's fault...give out to him all you want...but these things shouldnt pop out in news..not before a major game

Tigers_eye · #19 June 3, 2009, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gowza
i find it quite scary that BD has a captain who disregards the advice of the coach and who knows who else ...

If the captain and the coach is not on the same page this team will not improve. This is hindering our progress. Sack Ash. Ash has no accountability. Give it to the chosen one. At least that is what I would do.

tiger_club · #20 June 3, 2009, 11:29 PM

this is all coz of we lost to SL.. we'd few close matches where could have won if we played bit more sensibly.. this is a wake up call for ASH.. we must not make the same mistake against IND..

another thing is this is not the right time to talk about this.. we should be trying to inspire our players where possible.. 6th of June is our main target

Zeeshan · #21 June 3, 2009, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
If the captain and the coach is not on the same page this team will not improve. This is hindering our progress. Sack Ash. Ash has no accountability. Give it to the chosen one. At least that is what I would do.

kintu kintu....tayle je Khokamoni raag kore bolbe: Khelbo na ami!

PoorFan · #22 June 4, 2009, 12:18 AM

Pathetic, imaginative and destructive as hell, there is no bottom to hit the bottom with such thinking in a team.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BANFAN
Now then all those craps are thrown into the waste basket in natural process, coach is running short of ideas to keep himself attached to the success of the team. This silly complain from the coach is just an effort to take credit if the team does well and make the captain a escape goat if the team doesn't do well.

WarWolf · #23 June 4, 2009, 12:20 AM

Both of the captain and the coach are guilty. The captain is guilty of not thinking whereas the coach is guilty of leaking team news to the other opponents.

WarWolf · #24 June 4, 2009, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
If the captain and the coach is not on the same page this team will not improve. This is hindering our progress. Sack Ash. Ash has no accountability. Give it to the chosen one. At least that is what I would do.

Who is the chosen one Mijan bhai?

**Tehsin** · #25 June 4, 2009, 12:40 AM

Bad timing as usual. I've always maintained that ASH lacks maturity, and vision. JS isn't really that much different, specially when he is around a mic or the media. I'm not too worried about Ash taking the ball in a practice match. He atleast showed some guts. He is perfect for 20/20, wham/bam, play the 20-30 odd balls and get out. Hope he's going to be a useful 'tool' for us this time around.