Sri Lanka showed their mental strength in winning close matches against Bangladesh to earn a 1-0 in the in the ongoing three-match ODI and a clean sweep in the Twenty20 series earlier, coach Paul Farbrace said on Tuesday. ‘Winning close games are important, because it shows the fight and determination in the team,’ Farbrace told reporters during an optional training session at Mirpur.
‘Winning from 60-odd for eight was magnificent.’
‘The great thing was that from 110-2, I was very impressed how the boys fought, stuck at it, caught well and were disciplined in their bowling. The pressure forced the victory,’ said Farbrace, who started his second stint with Sri Lanka and first as the side’s head coach with the ongoing tour.
Sri Lanka Cricket put their faith in the former Middlesex wicketkeeper-batsman, choosing him from the 11 candidates vying for the post and appointing him for a two-year period from January 1 after Graham Ford decided to step down.
Farbrace was an assistant coach under Trevor Bayliss from 2007 to 2009 – a period in which Sri Lanka rose to No. 2 in the Test rankings and progressed to a World Twenty20 final – before leaving to become Kent’s director of cricket.
The 46-year old Englishman added that he was impressed with the way his charges are trying hard in order to prevent panicking at crucial time during their batting.
‘There’s quality in our batting. It is not a time to panic. The boys are working hard in every session. We can ask the players to work as hard they can and if they don’t, then you get tough on them,’ said Farbrace.
‘You spend more time on holding nerves. You don’t get too excited when you’re doing well, and don’t get too down when you are not going well. I think yesterday the heart and the fight won us the game. You also need a bit of luck to go your way. There are small margins in international cricket.’
Farbace stressed that the tourists could not get complacent as they know the hosts are a very competitive unit in their home conditions.
‘The one thing we have stressed to everybody is that Bangladesh is impressive. They are dangerous at home.’
‘The improvement between the first and second Test was very good. Once they start to win games consistently, they can go a long way,’ he added.
-With New Age input
