The team needs to enter the GPS era to be more data-equipped, according to David Moore, Bangladesh’s recently appointed head of program, in order to perform at the highest level.
Many teams nowadays, like England, Australia, and India, use technology to acquire a precise image of their cricketers’ conditions so they can manage their workload.
Moore is already collaborating with the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s Management Information System, which already collects player data. However, the Australian believes that the system would be improved if GPS could be added.
“I am going to work with the data we have in the MIS. The thing for us if we want to compete against the best in the world of cricket, we have to be doing at least what the best are doing and try to do better,” Moore told reporters on Wednesday.
“They have been using the Athlete Management System for a long time and it is a lot about communicating. In Australia you have a state player, the state team puts everything in the AMS so there is communication and everyone is aware of what is going on, so actually you are tracking,” he said.
“The tracking to see how they improve and how they are developing. I am having a lot of talks with Naso (Nasir Ahmed- BCB’s head of Management Information System) and he obviously believes in it and I also believe in it bringing that system so that we can communicate together we have got all the information we need for players to be the best,”
he said.
“It’s (GPS) more than just workload management. What we want is that there is a system in place to measure workload management. We will try to ensure that players have longevity and limit injuries and its possibility. Some of the system will also be about the pressures on their body for instance fast bowlers,” he said.
“There is no GPS in Bangladesh at the moment here and I don’t know whether clubs are using it. So the issue is we are talking with some of the companies and want to work on what is the best product for Bangladesh cricket and we can utilize it. We already got a system in place in Edge 10 and the GPS talks to Edge10 and they can relate to each other and that’s a good thing.”
“It’s not purely on data, right? It’s a big picture and data is only one small part of character, technical stuff and resilience and performance and that’s one small part of it. It’s important to have the data to inform what we want to do but I would not be making decisions solely on GPS or data.”
“The players have to be part of it. We are dealing with humans and so we have got to make sure that we have got a good relationship and players got to trust them and feel comfortable that they can be supported,” he said.
“My role encompasses three areas: Bangladesh Tigers, High Performance Program and then at the moment coach education. My role is to work with the national coach and other coaches, other departments like game development to make sure the players that we have are well prepared when they get their opportunity in first class and international cricket.”
“You can’t learn how to play international cricket until you play international cricket. So, we’re trying to prepare them as much as we can so that when they get the opportunity, they can learn quickly,” Moore said.
“I believe at the moment it is probably bringing everything together. What I meant by that is there is a lot of system in Bangladesh like we got 70 or 80 coaches in the divisions and the regions. We have got quality young players that I have seen and I haven’t seen. I have seen BPL, DPL and a little bit of first class and the talent of the young players is really good.
“My role is developing relationships with coaches. Whether BPL, DPL or NCL, I need to ensure we are just not running on stats (as far as picking cricketers for HP Unit). If we invest in someone then we would like to think they are still with us in a couple of years,” he said.
“It is fitness and character, and we need to make sure they are good team people and work hard and try to develop themselves as well. We need to make sure we record information, not just data and stats so that we draw a bigger picture and so that they aren’t forgotten about. We need to have coaches who observe them playing after they leave camp,” he said.
“Bangla Tigers is a great program especially for Bangladesh. It is again to prepare players for injury or when out of form. We don’t want them to lose form and then go home and not get quality training. By putting the Bangla Tigers team together, we will have a head coach, specialist coaches and I’ll work with those players when they are not in the national team.
“If the white ball team was in an assignment, the red-ball players will come in to Bangla Tigers and prepare themselves for Test series without having to find their own coach, physio or fitness trainer. Its dual purpose of serving preparation for those guys next in or Test cricketers who aren’t playing white ball cricket but it’s also anyone who is over 23 or identified by selectors as those that should be in Bangla Tigers program,” he said.
“People can be selected for the A team from the Bangladesh Tigers, from the HP program and anyone else the selectors identify. Bangla Tigers is a preoperational program and the playing opportunity comes through the A team tours,” he said.