Practicing with a Small Bat, Hinting at Something Big

The Bangladesh ODI team seems to have regained new life after their dominant victory against the West Indies. The 74-run win in Mirpur not only gave them the lead in the series but also restored their much-needed confidence. After failing to win any of their last four series, the Tigers now have their sights set on consistency — and a possible whitewash.

Spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed believes the team can achieve that goal if they continue to believe in themselves.

“Inshallah, Bangladesh will win the series. As coaches, our job is to help the players build self-belief. In international cricket, mental toughness and faith are everything. These boys are extremely talented — they can beat anyone if they truly believe in themselves,” Mushtaq said.

Ahead of the second ODI, scheduled for October 21 at the same venue — Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur — the team’s practice session took on a new dimension today. The focus was on footwork drills, particularly playing spin with intent — stepping forward or back to rotate the strike effectively.

Mushtaq explained, “We want every training session to replicate real match conditions. That helps batters build ‘muscle memory,’ so when they go out to play, the situation feels familiar. Simmons emphasized how to take singles and rotate strike in the middle overs — that was a key focus today.”

Interestingly, several batters were seen using short bats during practice. Mushtaq shed light on the purpose behind it, “The idea of using a shorter bat is to bring your head closer to the ball. On spinning tracks, batters must have precise footwork. Whether you go forward or back, your head should stay close to the ball. That helps you take singles even off good deliveries — and that’s how you put pressure back on the bowler.”

With confidence and energy running high in the Bangladesh camp, the Tigers are determined to seal the series in the next match. And as Mushtaq Ahmed believes — their strongest weapon right now is belief.