Everyone in the team has the ability to hit sixes

Bangladesh opener Anamul Haque Bijoy said that he believes everyone in the team has the ability to hit sixes and that planning and execution are more important than power-hitting in T20s.

Bangladesh have won only two of their last 15 T20Is, and the main reason behind that has been the lack of firepower in the Tigers’ ranks. On most occasions, Bangladesh lost games for not being able to score quick runs at the death in order to put up a decent score or for faltering when big-hitting was required while chasing a steep target.

As Bangladesh prepare for their opening game in the Asia Cup, which is against Afghanistan on August 30 in Sharjah, the major concern for the Tigers remains their inability when it comes to power-hitting. 

However, Anamul insisted that everyone in the side has the ability to hit sixes and fours.    

“No one can say that the players here [in the national squad] can’t hit sixes and fours or that the players don’t have any qualities. Those who came into the national squad, could only come this far after giving their 100 per cent. I think everyone has the quality to hit sixes and fours and demonstrate power-hitting in the matches,” Anamul said in a video message to the BCB on Friday.

“I have been playing T20s for a long time, almost for about 10 years now. I have played BPL and also played T20s for Bangladesh as well. All of us are talented and hard-working players, and I think, for us, planning is more important than power-hitting.

“I think it is more about planning as to which bowler we need to pick, which bowler needs to be dealt with by rotating the strike and when to go on the offense and when not to,” Anamul added. 

Anamul also insisted that almost every batter in the Tigers’ line-up has the ability to hit the ball for boundaries. 

“If you consider the line-up then there are 8-10 batters in the side, all of whom can hit the ball more or less. It is just that the players need some time like they need to face four, five or 10 balls and then they can hit fours and sixes by executing after that. So, everyone has the ability to hit fours and sixes.” 

Bangladesh removed Russell Domingo as the head coach from the shortest format of the game and added India’s Sridharan Sriram as the team’s technical consultant for T20s just days before leaving for the Asia Cup. 

And Anamul believes that the players can improve their power-hitting ability under the new leadership.      

“I don’t see any reason to be disappointed. I think we can improve this aspect through practice and under this coach [T20 technical consultant Sridharan Sriram] and skipper Shakib Al Hasan, we will improve our power-hitting ability. It is a continuous process and maybe it won’t happen overnight but it will definitely be achievable in three or six months’ time,” Anamul concluded.