Change in leadership but what change in tactics?

The batting effort of Chattogram Challengers have largely been dependent on their two foreigners Will Jacks and Benny Howell throughout this tournament. While Jacks provides the runs at the top, Howell comes in to finish with a flourish. In the middle, the local stars such as Afif Hossain, Sabbir Rahman and Mehedi Hasan Miraz have not been able to gun down big runs.

Meanwhile, national team spinner Nasum Ahmed's form has been only the constant for the Chattogram outfit this BPL. Even in the match against Sylhet Sixers, with Mehedi Miraz replaced as captain, the bowlers were often confused about their approach. 

Thus, when Chattogram owner Rifat Uzzaman told the media yesterday that the team management's reason for taking away captaincy responsibilities from Miraz was due to difference in technical planning, it raised eyebrows. "The kind of cricket we were playing was high risk and there were some differences with Miraz in that regard," he had said yesterday.

According to their team sources, coach Paul Nixon had given them some directions before leaving for England. Yet when Chattogram turned up for their game against Comilla Victorians the same patterns emerged.

Nasum tried to contain with the ball but Comilla's Faf du Plessis, hitting a 55-ball 83, and Liton Das, notching a smooth-sailing 34-ball 47, put the pressure on early before Cameron Delport finished with a flurry during a 23-ball 51 as Comilla put on 183 for three.

The same pattern then emerged with the batting. While Will Jacks fired at the top, the rest of the top and middle-order, including Miraz, didn't have any impact. At one point, Howell came in to bat with opener Jacks, after the latter saw partners departing from the other end.

Unlike other matches, Howell, with 12 overs to go, did not take advantage, departing for just two. Thus, Jacks' 42-ball 69 was the only sublime effort in the chase as Comilla bowled Chattogram out for 131 runs to bag a big 52-run win.

While change of leadership was supposed to be about more high-risk cricket, with a different pattern, how much the change in leadership was reflected in the on-field tactics, is up for debate.