Rhodes begins to mould Tigers for Asia Cup assault

Bangladesh want to make an impact in the Asia Cup and they look to carry on the good run of form for the tournament. As Bangladesh cricket team adjust to life under new coach Steve Rhodes, he in turn is looking to provide guidance and structure to hone the players' skillsets ahead of the crucial tournament.

Bangladesh's 31-member preliminary squad for the Asia Cup started their training camp yesterday, in preparation for the Asia Cup, scheduled to begin on September 15 at UAE.

Yesterday, Tigers' worked on their fitness as the players looked to gain some much-needed physical momentum while preparing for the upcoming tournament. Speaking to reporters today, spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz revealed that they are looking to improve in areas where they have weaknesses.

"We did not get to work a lot with the coach during the West Indies tour. Now he is working with us a lot and focusing on problems on an individual level. We are enjoying ourselves a lot while working with him."

Tigers have had issues with fielding in general, with a bleak period where they missed crucial catches. The West Indies tour showed that good fielding is important in outcome of matches as Tigers took some good catches. Bangladesh are now looking to hone their fielding instincts once more as Steve Rhodes looks to embed his ideas further following the success in the ODI and T20 series in West Indies.

"Everyone is helping out and that feels good. We worked on fielding, running and undertook some gym work. Everything was enjoyable."

Work ethic is the cornerstone to success and in this regard, details, even small ones, matter. Fielding is such an aspect and Miraz pointed out that fielding can win matches.

"Batting and bowling are both important in cricket. But fielding is the most important. Saving 20-30 runs in an ODI match can change the course of the game. At the end of the day, those runs can decide whether you win or lose. We are working on it hard, keeping different match situations in mind," Miraz said.

On the challenge ahead, Miraz reiterated that the cricketers are also working at an individual level to overcome deficiencies.

"Challenges are always going to be there as every game is a challenge. Everyone in our team is working very hard. They are also training individually. We hope everyone's hard work will pay off.

"We can do well if everyone gives their best," he concluded.