England will attack, but 'also give you chances' - Ottis Gibson wants Bangladesh bowlers not to panic

October 26, 2021

Ottis Gibson has urged the Bangladesh bowlers not to panic if - and possibly when - they come under the cosh from England's big hitters during Wednesday's T20 World Cup match in Abu Dhabi, explaining that the opponents' aggressive style would offer chances for his side to pick up wickets.

"We have to be on our A game if we want to challenge them and ultimately win the game," Gibson, the team's bowling coach, said. "We know that England are a very powerful batting line-up. The key is to be accurate with what we deliver, and back ourselves. We know they will come out hard, but they also give you chances.

"The message is not to panic. Understand that you will get hit off a good ball. That's their mentality. But they also give you opportunity to take wickets. We must be calm to execute our skills and plans, and considered about every ball we bowl."

England beat West Indies convincingly in their opening game but lost four wickets on their way to chasing down the paltry 56-run target in Dubai. Bangladesh have never faced England in T20Is, so they will bank a lot on Gibson's knowledge of the opposition from his time working with them. But on the subject of "chances", it is hard to forget how Bangladesh's last match panned out, when Liton Das dropped Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Charith Asalanka at a crucial stage of the game.

Bangladesh have dropped six catches in the tournament so far, but Gibson tried to play down the misses. "One or two catches get dropped in every cricket match. Obviously when the catches play a part in the result, it is highlighted more but we do a lot of catching practice," he said. "When the guys are out in the middle under pressure, mistakes like catches going down happen. I won't say it is a concern."

Gibson said that the coaching staff had been fully supportive of Liton, who has also been in the middle of a lean run with the bat, and was also fined for an argument with Lahiru Kumara during the game.

"He is one of our best fielders. The fact that a couple of catches went down doesn't diminish what he contributes to the team. Of course, anybody can drop a catch. It is highlighted because those catches, you can argue, contributed to the result," Gibson said. "He has been one of our key players for a while. The reality is that any other fielder in that position could have dropped those catches as well. We remind him of his quality, and that he is a key player for us. We support the player, whether it is Liton Das or any other player."

Bangladesh also haven't got the best from Mustafizur Rahman, who took a four-wicket haul against Oman, but has looked off-colour at times.

"Fizz is a key bowler for us in any conditions. His cutters are more effective in Bangladesh but one thing I like about him is his ability to adjust to conditions very quickly," Gibson said. "He is key especially in the backend of the innings, but he can also swing the ball back in now. We have worked very hard on it. He is a weapon for us with both the new and old ball."

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