Zimbabwe’s batting coach says he is challenging the players to be able to rotate the strike
Zimbabwe batting mentor Lance Klusener urges his charges to stay positive as opposed to going into the shell in the shortest format regardless of whether their backs are against the wall while Klusener revealed that they should show restraint toward the opener Regis Chakaba regardless of his low form.
Zimbabwe batting mentor Lance Klusener urges his charges to stay positive as opposed to going into the shell in the shortest format regardless of whether their backs are against the wall.
Mosaddek Hossain delivered a career-best spell of 5-20 against Zimbabwe and sealed the game by seven wickets and leveled the series 1-1 in Harare on July 31.
Zimbabwe was struggling at 31/2 in the seven over, then Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl made an 80-run partnership for the sixth wicket to help Zimbabwe to put 135/8 runs on the board.
Questions were raised about the mentality conveyed by the top request of the host side as many felt as opposed to going hard and fast they might have adopted a moderate strategy after losing several early wickets, however, Klusener couldn’t help disagreeing.
”We want to change the way we have been playing and the way we have been batting for a long time and that is a challenge for us,”
Klusener after the second game.
”We as a team or me as a batting coach would stay away from going into a shell and just because we are 10 for 3 doesn’t mean we are going to be 15-4 you know. We could also be 100 for 3. I think for us as a batting unit we need to see the brighter side rather than let’s consolidate and put 130 on the board because you are going to lose anyway,”
he said.
”I think we have enough talent in that batting unit to continue to be positive and positive doesn’t mean ‘run down the wicket and hit every ball for six’ but just dead batting balls back up the wicket for us is not an option anymore. We are challenging the players to be able to rotate the strike and get seven runs an over without having to take any risk because that is the challenge we are going to bring because we not doing that other teams are doing that and we want to play in the World Cup,”
he said.
”We all are going to be positive and that is how we are going to play and if you look at the world that is how a lot of other teams play as well. When you don’t get it right it can look ugly but as I mentioned earlier in the last 10 overs we scored nine runs and over from 20-5 and that shows what we can do. So yeah just patting the ball back and going into our shell (is not something for me),”
he said.
Klusener revealed that they should show restraint toward opener Regis Chakaba regardless of his low form considering the reality they are working with them to bring harmony between aggression and caution.
”I think Regis [Chakaba] we are trying to change the way he has been playing in the past. We wanted him to be more positive and I think we saw glimpses of that in Bulawayo,”
said the former South African.
”He hasn’t come off as much as we would have liked in the last two games. Regis is a seriously quality and talented player. I think he at that moment is a work in progress in terms of the balance that he wants to achieve and how he is going to bat and how hard he is going to play in the power play. Six overs of Regis in the powerplay, we will have sixty,”
he said.
”It is a concern we all want him to get him back on the road and back scoring lots of runs we have seen him in the past and I think he got that quality and it is important that we be patient with him,”
he said.
