Micromax ODI CUP-Bangladesh vs New Zealand
Tigers eye clean sweep
Bangladesh today have the golden opportunity to complete the annihilation of New Zealand as they look forward to a 4-0 whitewash in the one-day series.
It would be another feather in the already rich cap of the Tigers in this series, as the scoreline would only be the first time they have done so in a home series against a top-flight international team. The Tigers have so far completed clean sweeps on six occasions, beating Kenya twice (4-0, 3-0), crushing Zimbabwe 5-0 in 2006 and West Indies 3-0 last year.
A victory will also enable Bangladesh to go at par with the West Indies on 67 points in the ICC rankings. Bangladesh presently ranked ninth with 64 points.
Head coach Jamie Siddons certainly thinks the whitewash is possible, pointing out that the opposition may be caught on the hop again.
“We have the momentum. They are a little bit flat, waiting for the plane to go home. If we can put our foot down, we can definitely win the game. Then the whitewash is possible,” said a buoyant Siddons while talking to the reporters ahead of yesterday’s practice at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
“We have to fix our mistakes from the first game and put New Zealand under pressure and try and win the game,” he added.
The feeling was evident as the Tigers looked relaxed after training was over but during the three-hour workout, there was an air of intent. None of them looked like slacking off, something that could have easily happened with the satisfaction of winning the series.
Paceman Shafiul Islam, not much of a talker in front of the camera, said at least twice that the team is capable of pulling off a 4-0 win. “We will play for a win and I think this is our big chance. We have the self-belief and I’m sure we will hold on it tomorrow [Sunday],” he said.
“We are confident because we are doing well in all departments of the game,” added Shafiul, who has taken 27 ODI wickets this year.
The Bogra lad said he knows how to finish off Brendon McCullum, the swashbuckling opener. “It is important to stop runs with him. Then he plays wild shots and we can get him out,” he said.
But Siddons wants Shafiul and his pace-bowling partner Rubel Hossain to improve bowling in the Powerplay but what really concerns the coach is the team’s batting during that field-restriction period later in the match. ” We always want to take it when we are batting well but inevitably when we take it, we lose wickets. So that is one area we can improve in the next game,” he said.
” We can take it but the players need to make sure they use it,” added Siddons.
The 46-year-old said he was waiting for the Tigers to play the perfect game to finish the job well.
“We made a lot of mistakes in the first three games. I want them to rectify and play a lot better.
“We should have made 270, we should have played a lot better in the final Powerplay and we should have bowled a lot better in the last 10 overs.
“Rokibul [Hasan] needs to improve and [Zunaed Siddiqui] Imrose hasn’t performed yet. But he made a 100 and a ninety in the last 6-7 games. No need to panic or point fingers. The team didn’t manage 270, not just one individual,” said Siddons, who also told his charges not to “go flat” at any time of the match.
The coach also confirmed there won’t be any change in the team, owing to continue the combination with the World Cup and even Zimbabwe one-dayers in mind.
“But most of all we want to win 4-0. We didn’t play well last game, we got very lucky to get over the line,” warned Siddons.
