Chandika Hathurusingha Focuses On Bangladesh’s Bench Strength For New Beginning
Aug 2, 2017 at 6:56 PM
Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has proposed to work on the bench strength, in a bid to make the choice far and wide when the side would require the talented set of players while adding he would be happy to expand the idea to yield desired results during his tenure.
“It’s about expanding our pool (to strengthen bench) in case you need (players),” Hathurusingha was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.
The former 48-year-old Sri Lanka cricketer believes he would be happy to see young players rising among the ranks owing to their quality performance before asking to be inducted in the national side.
“[In case] somebody puts their hand up and says ‘pick me, I’m good enough’,” Hathurusingha added.
Hathurusingha, who replaced Shane Jurgensen from Australia in 2014, as his contract was further extended up to 2019 World Cup by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) last year.
The ex-Test batter of Lanka feels the ‘pool of players’ would help the side to keep the promising prospects ready for the foreseeable future while proposing the brand new idea during the presser in Dhaka, in order to boost the morale of the players owing to the long run.
“What we want is not anyone taking their place for granted…or at the same time, everyone achieving the same level,” Hathurusingha asserted.
(Read Also: No Bangladesh Tour Without Signing MoU, Says Australian skipper Steven Smith)
As Bangladesh is scheduled to play two-match Test series against Australia which will kickstart from August 27 further subjected to clearance and latest pay-deal signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), as Steven Smith-led side is a grind in between long-standing impasse between Cricket Australia and Australia Cricketers’ Association (ACA).
Hathurusingha further believes by putting this proposal in the pipeline would not only see the quality competition but would eventually help in the process of making the players ready to face the new challenges in the modern-day cricket.
“Whatever the demands are [as] we have enough players for each place,” Hathurusingha maintained.
The chief coach further reiterated the idea would reap benefits in the long process while making the competition within Bangladesh doubly effective, as players would sweat it out to achieve better results including the domestic set of players, who are bound to feature at the international circuit in the next five years.
“It’s not about the team at this stage,” Hathurusingha concluded.
During his international stint between 1991 and 1999 for Lions, Hathurusingha played 35 ODIs and 26 Tests.
The former right-handed batsman Hathurusingha amassed 1,279 runs in longer format and 669 in the 50-over leg.