Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful believes extra bounce is the biggest reason his country’s batters have struggled in Zimbabwe.
A tough start
Bangladesh arrived on the back of four straight Test wins and four consecutive bilateral ODI series victories. They then lost the one-off Test by an innings and slipped to a surprise defeat in the first ODI. They need to win the second ODI in Harare on July 9 to keep the three-match series alive.
Ashraful said the batters had played very well at home for seven months, but the conditions here are different and the bounce is a little extra. He noted that the team also struggled on its previous tour in 2022 and has yet to adjust in either Test innings or the first ODI.
Zimbabwe’s pace attack
He praised Zimbabwe’s quicks, saying they are tall and extract bounce from the surfaces. Blessing Muzarabani, 6ft 7in, and Richard Ngarava, 6ft 6in, have led the attack, with Brad Evans and Newman Nyamhuri supporting well.
Luck and boundaries
Ashraful also felt Bangladesh were slightly unlucky in the first ODI, as several early dismissals came from shots that went straight to fielders. He added that boundaries in Bangladesh are usually 60 to 65 metres, whereas here they are close to 73 to 75 metres, making stroke-making harder.
Optimism
Ashraful said he was sure the batters would find their rhythm in the remaining two ODIs and the three T20Is and learn from their mistakes, returning to the form they showed at home over the last six months.
