"I've really enjoyed it, this is my first time in Pakistan & it's been fantastic" : Russell Domingo

[MenInG]

"I've really enjoyed it, this is my first time in Pakistan & it's been fantastic" : Russell Domingo

Bangladesh Head Coach speaking to media today:


"I thought we challenged Pakistan more in the first game, the average score on this ground is 155 so in first game we were 15 runs short and today we were 25 runs short, but that's why they are ranked number one and we are ranked number 9 in this format; At the moment there is a big difference between the teams in terms of experience, skills and we have a long way to catch up to them"

"Pakistan have always had fantastic fast-bowlers, particularly in this format; They are good with the new ball, they land the Yorkers, and get the ball to reverse; We had an inexperienced lineup (listed names of players with matches which I could not understand) but hopefully they will be better for it after facing this quality attack on a tough wicket and hopefully they would have learnt some lessons from it"

"These wickets dont look that easy, in the first game we got 141 and they got there with a few balls to spare"

"We know how good Pakistan are when they defend scores, if we look at their record we know that they are a fantastic side when defending scores; So we thought we had an inexperienced batting line-up we would try and get some runs on the board and try and squeeze them with the ball in the second innings but that didnt work out for us"

"I have really enjoyed it, this is my first time to Pakistan and its been fantastic, and the crowds have been good but the wickets have been average and haven't been great but we are up against a fantastic Pakistan team, the team is feeling good but unfortunately we are down due to the results but other than that we will be OK"

"We couldnt have asked for more (in terms of facilities), obviously its a little intimidating to see so many armed guys around but hopefully that'll slack off in time to come, but we've been fine"

 

[Bewal Express]

We must make these teams and their officials welcome with great hospitality. We must make sure that our security is as good as humanly possible because we know our enemies are desperate with their failures to isolate us as in FATF etc.

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo criticised the "average pitches" prepared for the T20 internationals by the PCB curators in Lahore, saying they did not suit their batsmen.

"The wickets have not been great and a little bit average. It was not easy to bat on them, the pitch was a bit better today but we have a very young batting line-up," Domingo said after Pakistan's comfortable nine-wicket win in the second match.

Bangladesh, opting to bat first in both matches, ended up with below-par totals of 141 and 136 and are now trailing the three-match series 0-2.

Domingo said he was disappointed with the outcome of Saturday's match but felt that his young team had challenged Pakistan in the first match.

"I think we were around 15 runs short in the first match and around 35 runs short today. But look you have to keep in mind that Pakistan is the number one T20 side today and we are number nine. And they showed today why they are number one," he said.

Domingo said his missed key players like Shakib ul Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim but it was also good to give the younger players a chance for learning.

"We decided to bat first both times because it didn't look like an easy wicket to bat on and we thought that if we put up a respectable total we could test and squeeze their batsmen in the chase. I think we did that in the first match."

He noted that Pakistan was always a fantastic side while defending totals and Bangladesh had an inexperienced batting side.

The South African, who has just taken charge of the Bangladesh side, said that they were testing the depth of talent in Bangladesh cricket as the seniors wouldn't be around for ever.

"This is my first tour with them and there is work to be done with them. We have all got things we need to improve upon and take our game to the next level."

Asked about Tamim Iqbal's relatively slow 65-run innings on Saturday, Domingo pointed out that the opener was a quality player but since Bangladesh kept on losing wickets he could not bat freely.

The third T20 will be played on Monday.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/sp...adesh-head-coach-russell-domingo-2094526.html

 

[lahoriyah1234]

The Pitches on both game has been absolutely dreadfull. I would have played the series in Karachi. Wicket there is top class for T20 lahore has the worse pitches.

 

[Slim]

The Pitches on both game has been absolutely dreadfull. I would have played the series in Karachi. Wicket there is top class for T20 lahore has the worse pitches.

Wrong. The pitch in the second match was completely fine. Pakistani bats pounded the bangla attack to oblivion and had they batted first they would have hit around 180 runs at least. The difference between Pakistani bowling attack and Bangladesh was day and night.

 

[Hawkeye]

Wrong. The pitch in the second match was completely fine. Pakistani bats pounded the bangla attack to oblivion and had they batted first they would have hit around 180 runs at least. The difference between Pakistani bowling attack and Bangladesh was day and night.

It was our good luck that best timers of the ball were batting. Babar and Hafeez.

Otherwise the pitch was very slow and ball staying low.

Hafeez and Babar played exceptionally well but pitch was still poor.

 

[Abdullah719]

It was our good luck that best timers of the ball were batting. Babar and Hafeez.

Otherwise the pitch was very slow and ball staying low.

Hafeez and Babar played exceptionally well but pitch was still poor.

Babar said the pitch was much better and the ball was coming onto the bat.

 

[Hawkeye]

Babar said the pitch was much better and the ball was coming onto the bat.

Babar didn't play any balls yesterday. I doubt it was a correct judgment. Initial scoring for Pak was difficult too.

 

[sshakir411]

Lahore disappoints with its pitches again

 

[Artaxerxes]

We can not take chances on security yet.Its better to be safe than sorry.Our enemies don't want cricket to return to Pakistan so we must remain vigilant.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Agree.

 

[sweep_shot]

Nobody has made any complaint yet. All is well so far.

Good stuffs.

 

[MMHS]

It was our good luck that best timers of the ball were batting. Babar and Hafeez.

Otherwise the pitch was very slow and ball staying low.

Hafeez and Babar played exceptionally well but pitch was still poor.

True - I read Tamim was struggling for timing as well. The best three timers of the ball in this game scored fifties, others struggled. I don’t think it was a good wicket.
[MENTION=146948]Slim[/MENTION] - sometimes pls try to understand the game from knowledge perspective. It’s indeed BD attack hence PAK made 136 in 17th over with 1 down, otherwise Australian attack actually showed other picture when wicket was 200 per track.

Coming to the wickets - it was poor wicket all through. Babar & Hafeez were chasing 136 and they always knew the target was in reach - could wait and pick balls, while desperate for wickets, BD bowlers tried to out do things, ended up giving easy boundary balls. The game doesn’t work that way - same attack, chasing a target of 170 won’t have allowed Babar/MoHa settle down and still keep the asking in check.

 

[CricketDon]

I’m i the only ones who wants the players to come in on helicopters to the ground like in fortnite and modern warfare?

Just a thought

 

[Khan12]

Babar didn't play any balls yesterday. I doubt it was a correct judgment. Initial scoring for Pak was difficult too.

Difficult for rubbish like ahsan and hafeez . Babar was going over 200sr.

 

[Titan24]

Pitch was much improved in the second but still there is some room for improvement. Outfield just like recent times has been amazing.

 

[Hawkeye]

Difficult for rubbish like ahsan and hafeez . Babar was going over 200sr.

Khan Bhai why are you so extreme in your views? Either someone is rubbish or shameless or a world beater!

Hafeez played an extraordinary knock, a textbook innings with perfect timing and he's rubbish. Ahsan played his 2nd ever international match on a poor pitch and he's also rubbish.

Chill. Try to have some balance. Ahsan may have done average but you haven't seem him play on a true surface.

 

[angrypathan]

Wrong. The pitch in the second match was completely fine. Pakistani bats pounded the bangla attack to oblivion and had they batted first they would have hit around 180 runs at least. The difference between Pakistani bowling attack and Bangladesh was day and night.

It was a lot better than the first game but it was still pretty ordinary. Hafeez said the same after the game, it wasn't your typical Lahore patta

 

[Faisalabadimunda]

They shud play sum matches at iqbal stadium faisalabad. Much better pitch and way berter crowd. Guaranteed full house every match

 

[MenInG]

The Tigers have already conceded a series defeat after losing the first two matches that has come on the back of a struggling batting display under the tutelage of head coach Russell Domingo, a compatriot of Neil McKenzie

Bangladesh batting consultant Neil McKenzie is disappointed with his batters missing out on the intent in the T20I series against Pakistan.

The Tigers have already conceded a series defeat after losing the first two matches that has come on the back of a struggling batting display under the tutelage of head coach Russell Domingo, a compatriot of McKenzie.

After winning the toss in both the games, Bangladesh opted to bat first only to finish with below-par totals, 141 and 136 runs respectively, on the board.

Former South Africa cricketer McKenzie is a member of the national support staff who has decided not to travel to Pakistan.

Instead, the former Proteas batsmen chose to stay back in Dhaka and work with batsmen who are likely to be part of the two-match Test series against Pakistan.

“We missed on a good start on the other day but what is more disappointing for me is the intent because we have been working really hard on rotation of the strike and putting the bowlers under pressure and make them bowl at where you want them to bowl. I think I have not seen that in the last T20I. Just the intent and looking to be more hungry and playing with no fear, that’s what Russell wants to install in a player,” said McKenzie to the media at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka Sunday.

“We need more consistency and I want someone to be selfish in terms of winning games for Bangladesh and not selfish for their own right. I want guys to be the best batsmen in the world and that’s what we are trying to install, but it's been frustrating,” he said.

Opener Tamim Iqbal has been among the runs, scoring 39 and 65 in the two matches.

The left-handed batsman however, was not spared from criticism for his strike rate that is not ideal for the shortest format.

McKenzie however, came to the support of Tamim, terming the cricketer as one of the best performers and that he is taking time to settle in having returned from injury recently.

Tamim is playing his first series for Bangladesh since the away ODI series against Sri Lanka in July last year.

“I think obviously he [Tamim] has been tackling a lot of slack but he is Bangladesh’s best performer throughout the years. I think he is coming in from injury and he is settling in and the big positive for him is that he has got runs under the belt .We all know what he is capable of and we saw that in the last BPL (Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League) final [scoring unbeaten 141],” said McKenzie.

“We all want him to play more innings like that and we all know how he can play, he needs guys around him performing because everyone needs to get the job done and that is what we are talking about. When you have the combination you have the faith in the team and you can play some shots as well,” he said.

“I am glad he is back and I think he is obviously in a good frame of mind and hopefully got the confidence he needs as he scored 60 [Saturday] and hopefully score 80 in the next game,” McKenzie concluded.

https://www.dhakatribune.com/sport/2020/01/26/mckenzie-upset-with-tigers-batting-intent

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Lahore disappoints with its pitches again

It was a good pitch on the second day. Bangladesh just batted woefully.

 

[MenInG]

Bangladesh will return home on Tuesday and will travel to Rawalpindi in Pakistan next month to take on Pakistan in the first Test starting on February 7

Reverse swing and bouncers have been the major source of trouble for Bangladesh batsmen in the three-match T20I series against Pakistan in Lahore.

In order to counter the threat in the forthcoming two-game Test series, Bangladesh Test batsmen, who are currently in Dhaka, are preparing under the supervision of Tigers batting consultant Neil McKenzie.

After losing the first two matches, Bangladesh have already conceded a series defeat and will take on Pakistan in the last T20I Monday with the aim of avoiding a humiliating whitewash.

Bangladesh will return home tomorrow and will travel to Rawalpindi in Pakistan next month for the first Test, starting on February 7.

McKenzie is one of the five Bangladesh coaching staff members to have refused to travel to Pakistan.

Traditionally the tracks at Gaddafi Stadium have not produced high-scoring contests and Domingo said the wickets have been anything but easy to bat on

The former South Africa cricketer opted to stay in Dhaka and work with probable members of the Test squad at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

“I am spending time with the Test players and it has been really good by getting to know some of the new players well enough and just try to upskill them. Obviously they did not have good results in the last few months but it does not make anybody a bad player. It is more about upskilling the player and builds cricket awareness. I think with the Test side, it’s about the bouncing ball and even though we will play in the sub-continent and in Pakistan, we know it's going to be a good wicket and it will be quick,” said McKenzie to the media Sunday.

Explaining the work being done to resist the Pakistan pacers, McKenzie said, “We will be doing some preparation on facing reverse swing and just game preparation as they have got a few good left-arm seamers and luckily we have got some left-arm seamers and just talking about angles and try to make an impact on where you can bat and make the game a little easier.”

Bangladesh’s batting unit has been struggling in Pakistan, registering below-par totals batting first in both the first and second T20I.

This has come amid major experiments with the batting line-up that consists of five full-time openers.

McKenzie believes it is not ideal given that Bangladesh have a relatively young batting unit and that it is not easy for top-order batsmen to bat in the middle-order as it is completely a different ball game altogether.

He is also of the opinion that his compatriot Russell Domingo, the head coach of Bangladesh, is trying to settle down with the side.

“I think obviously it’s not ideal but I think you have got to look at the combination about who is playing. Obviously Russell being a new coach is trying different combinations but I think at the moment we have got too many batsman batting at 1, 2, and 3 and if you look at the squad they are all quality players, and they all bat in the top order,” McKenzie explained.

“It’s a different skill batting at 4, 5 and 6 because you are facing a quality spinner and it’s totally a different mindset because you have to know your game and try and rotate the strike and go for boundary options. There is lot of inexperience in that squad and we knew that when we selected the squad, but it's still disappointing,” the Bangladesh batting consultant added.

https://www.dhakatribune.com/sport/2020/01/26/mckenzie-preparing-batsmen-for-pakistan-tests

 

[Abdullah719]

Domingo: Preparation for the game not ideal

Bangladesh men’s national team head coach Russell Domingo informed his side does not have the ideal preparation for the first match of the two-Test series against hosts Pakistan.

Bangladesh on Tuesday will travel to Rawalpindi for the second of their three-phase tour of Pakistan which involves a lone Test to be played from Friday.

Before this Bangladesh will have just one session of practice session, on Thursday, on Pakistan soil. The only preparation Bangladesh will be backed in the game is of its players getting some match time through the first round of the ongoing Bangladesh Cricket League, franchise based four-day cricket tournament.

Traditionally a team on tour gets to play at least one two-day warm-up game and a good number of practice sessions before a Test series which is unlikely for Bangladesh in Pakistan because of security concerns. Following a series of discussions between Bangladesh Cricket Board and Pakistan Cricket Board, the former decided to send Bangladesh national team to tour Pakistan but with time that will only allow accommodate matches.

“It is not ideal. You always want to go there at least seven or eight days before a Test match. Play a warm-up game, have a couple of days practice. It is not great preparation for us, but there’s nothing we can do about it. The guys will practice and play here. We will reach there on Wednesday morning, practice Thursday and play on Friday. So it is not good [preparation],” said Domingo to the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Monday.

Bangladesh in the first part of the tour, involving a three-match T20I series, did not have a sound experience losing the series 2-0 with the third game getting abandoned due to rain. Under the situation, Bangladesh need to put statement through a fight back, onus will be on the batters that had suffered against Pakistan bowling.

Confidence can be taken from performances in BCL of key batsmen with likes of Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Mominul Hoque. Tamim roared into major headlines with his unbeaten record 334 runs for Islami Bank East Zone against Walton Central Zone on Sunday.

“Every time you are playing for your country, you should be motivated. It is a big series against one of the top nations in the world. We have a lot to improve in Test match cricket, so players know they have to perform in this format. We haven’t played well in Test matches in a long period of time. We want to set ourselves a goal of trying to win a Test series outside Bangladesh. So there’s a lot of motivation for us,” said Domingo.

“There’s no doubt that runs in the middle is worth more than just practicing in the nets. So the players who got runs [in BCL] will gain confidence. Tamim’s three-hundred is a fantastic effort and it is something that should be treasured, as it doesn’t happen often. Mominul and [Mahmudullah] Riyad got hundreds and [Mohammad] Mithun got a 60. Guys have got five wickets. They have shown why they are in the Test team. It is always important for Test players to put in big performances in domestic cricket,” Domingo explained.

The Test against Pakistan will be Bangladesh’s third game in the ICC Test Championship. In the first two Bangladesh took bashing against number one Test side India. Domingo is particle accepting the fact that chances for number 10 ranked Bangladesh finishing top in the championship is slim. Former South Africa coach Domingo rather wants his side to gain the habit of winning Test matches outside home.

“We have to win Tests, and outside of Bangladesh. If we are realistic, the chance of winning the World Test Championship is not good. We are ranked No 10 in Tests. But we really want to win a series outside Bangladesh. If we want to do that, the team will gain so much confidence. We want to play good cricket away from Bangladesh,” said Domingo.

https://www.dhakatribune.com/sport/cricket/2020/02/03/domingo-preparation-for-the-game-not-ideal

 

[Titan24]

“It is not ideal. You always want to go there at least seven or eight days before a Test match. Play a warm-up game, have a couple of days practice. It is not great preparation for us, but there’s nothing we can do about it. The guys will practice and play here. We will reach there on Wednesday morning, practice Thursday and play on Friday. So it is not good [preparation],” said Domingo to the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Monday.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/sport/cricket/2020/02/03/domingo-preparation-for-the-game-not-ideal

I agree with Domingo but he should have communicated this to his board which finalized the schedule.