As the 2024 T20 World Cup approaches, Bangladesh‘s head coach, Chandika Hathurusinghe, is focused on gathering crucial information about the pitches in the USA and the Caribbean. With matches scheduled in Dallas, New York, and Kingstown (St Vincent), Hathurusinghe is particularly concerned about the lack of data regarding the conditions, especially in Dallas and Kingstown.
“We don’t know about the wickets in America. We play two important games there. Nobody has any clue [about the pitches]. There’s not much data behind it,” Hathurusinghe expressed, highlighting the challenge his team faces in preparing for the tournament.
While the New York venue is expected to have drop-in pitches similar to those in Adelaide, offering a familiar experience for the Bangladesh team, Hathurusinghe emphasized the need for adaptability. “We are continually working on [death bowling]. We are playing on different kinds of pitches now. There’s more grass and carry,” he explained, noting the need for a mindset shift in bowling strategies.
In their ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka in Sylhet, Bangladesh has been using more batting-friendly surfaces to prepare for the high-scoring grounds they might encounter in the World Cup. This approach is part of their strategy to understand and improve their performance in bowling, aiming to adapt to conditions where 150 might be a winning score.
Hathurusinghe praised Shoriful Islam for his improvement in the second T20I, highlighting his growth as a leading bowler alongside Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman. He also commended Soumya Sarkar for his contributions with both bat and ball, despite the ongoing challenge of converting starts into substantial scores.
“It was pleasing to see him adjust quickly for the second game. He has grown into the leading bowler with Taskin and Fizz [Mustafizur Rahman]. There’s another one we can bank on”.
As the tournament draws closer, Bangladesh’s focus remains on preparing their team to be comfortable with the game plan and adaptable to the various challenges they might face in unfamiliar conditions.
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