‘Freedom’ key for batters to do well

When Bangladesh vice-captain Najmul Hossain Shanto came to the pre-match press conference at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday on the eve of their third ICC World Cup clash against New Zealand, the majority of the questions towards him were regarding the concerns over the Tigers' opening spot after the failure in the first two matches.

At one point, Shanto insisted on not thinking about the opening position at all soon before holding himself back and saying that the openers would be back amongst the runs in the next game.

"I think we should stop thinking about the opening spot as I think the players who bat at the top order are taking good preparation. I think one or two good innings can help the batters gain confidence as I think none of us in the team are relaxed or that we are not trying to give our best for the team. I hope we will be able to see our top-order scoring runs in the coming matches," Shanto told the media yesterday.

PHOTO: Ekush Tapader

However, the opening spot will remain a huge concern for the Tigers' think tank after young Tanzid Hasan Tamim failed in both the World Cup games so far, scoring five and one. But Shanto believes that the young left-hander will be able to bounce back if he is shown trust and belief towards him.

According to Shanto, there was no negativity in the dressing room after the huge 137-run defeat against England. Instead, according to the left-handed batter, it will be important how they are able to bounce back from a difficult situation. He also mentioned that one batter from the top four must play a big knock if the Tigers want to post a big total.

"One thing that I felt is how courageously we can bat or will bat in the middle. It is also important for us to bat with freedom. If we look at the batters of the other teams, they seem to score quite easily so it's important to bat freely with freedom. I think everyone is skillful in the team and if we are able to play with such freedom then it's possible to do well. We have been given that freedom from the coaching staff and the team management," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chepauk stadium pitch will remain the center of discussion for both teams as the venue has historically produced spin-friendly surfaces. Shanto said that if the pitch behaves anything similar to the way it did in the India-Australia game, which saw Indian spinners rule the roost, it would aid the Bangladesh spinners today.

New Zealand also have some quality spinners in their ranks, with left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner remaining prolific for the Kiwis in recent matches. The Tigers, however, have their plans sorted for tacking the Kiwi spin threat.

"I think he [Mitchel Santner] is one of the best bowlers. We have a plan for him as we have three left-handers in our top order. But we are not thinking much about him rather focusing on getting a good start and play some good cricket," said Shanto.