ICC World Cup 2019: Neil McKenzie Feels Bangladesh Needs to Get Acclimatized to the Surfaces in England and Ireland Rather Than Getting Used to the Cold

May 7, 2019 at 10:21 AM

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ICC World Cup 2019: Neil McKenzie Feels Bangladesh Needs to Get Acclimatized to the Surfaces in England and Ireland Rather Than Getting Used to the Cold

The batting coach of Bangladesh, Neil McKenzie is of the opinion that Bangladesh needs to get used to the pitches in England and Ireland rather than trying to adjust to the conditions in Ireland and England. Bangladesh who are playing their pre World Cup preparation series started off on a poor note as they lost the match against Ireland A by 88 runs. This was the only practice game for Bangladesh ahead of the tri-series which also involves Ireland and Windies.

“The experienced guys know whatever it takes to play in different conditions,” Neil McKenzie told reporters after the warm-up match. “I don’t think it’s the cold, its mainly the surfaces. Your lines change, lengths change and also your scoring opportunities change. So it’s not the weather it’s more the surface, the pitch condition and the various types of bowlers you will be facing.”

There is no doubt about the fact that Bangladesh has to get acclimatized to the cold weather in the Irish and English conditions. They had practised in the hot summer month in Dhaka and had to get used to the cold conditions in Ireland. The temperature in Ireland has gone down to two degrees at night. The temperature at the day time has been around 10 to 11 degrees.

In the only warm-up match, the Bangladesh bowlers were plundered around the park and failed to find good line and length. They conceded 307 runs in a 50 overs match against a 2nd string Irish side. The batters proved to be disappointing as well. Many of them got starts but never managed to convert their starts into big ones.

“They all sort of back their own abilities. You know England wickets aren’t as quick as South Africa and Australia, so I don’t think it’s the technical side that we have to worry about. Obviously bowling in England, for the slower ball bouncer there is a bit of grip, so you have to try to hit square of the wicket,” McKenzie was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

“In Bangladesh, you can just throw your hand at the ball and try to get slightly leg side whereas in England, you try to get to the pitch of the ball, try to get on top of it, try to hit as late as possible.” Talking about the preparations for the World Cup, McKenzie highlighted the experience of the coaching staff in England, and how it keeps Bangladesh in good stead. But he also said that the players, despite all the coaching and guidance they can provide, will need to find a formula that works for them best.

Bangladesh, ICC World Cup 2019
The new jersey for Bangladesh for the 2019 World Cup. (Image Courtesy: Bd crictime. com)

“There are different technical aspects that we touched on. Obviously, Steve Rhodes is from England and he knows the English condition really really well. He knows the county pitches and conditions as well. Courtney Walsh played in England for many years, I played in England for five years, so we will try to access the sign of the different wickets and conditions and plan accordingly. We will try to prepare the guys as best we know how and give them what we think is the best formula but they will have to formalize themselves.

“These guys are quality players. If you give them enough time at the crease, they will formalize on their own. We are just trying to fast track that. We just came from New Zealand, we now have the tri-series and some of the warm-up games to prepare ourselves, so we will prepare our best in the next three weeks. Acclimatization is a huge factor. There are some guys who have come from BPL. But at least we have come here early. Trying to keep the guys fresh. I am sure we will be fine,” Neil McKenzie concluded.

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