Hathurusingha feels Shakib absence

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha says his side will sorely miss the absence of top all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan on the tour of the West Indies.

He says any team will feel the absence of a player of his calibre.

However, Bangladesh will have to make do with the country’s best player, according to him.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has banned Shakib from all cricketing activities for six months over disciplinary issues.

The board, on Thursday, announced a 15-man squad for the tour excluding Shakib.

“What can we do? That is the reality we have to face. So we are looking forward,” Hathurusingha told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Bangladesh are yet to win an ODI this year which is also a concern for Shane Jurgensen’s successor.

“Losing is part of the game. So everything that happened is in the past. We try to focus on the future and have a fresh start,” the Sri Lankan coach said.

“I think they are in a good mental state. We are getting performance coach here on August 3rd and 4th. We are getting all the help that we need,” he added.

The West Indies tour will be a challenge not only for him but also for everyone of the team, according to him.

“I know we are not winning but the only way is up. We can’t go behind. I am looking forward to the challenge, and let’s see where we are in the next 6-8 months.”

The 45-year-old is satisfied with the combination of batting and bowling in his side.

The players have spent the last few weeks on skills development and will work on planning and technique before the tour, he told reporters.

“It (the West Indies tour) is all about developing skill level, which we did in the last few weeks.

“We were focusing on basic skills - to improve and understand, especially the batters work in their own game, finding out what they do best.

“Watching videos and identifying areas to improve. Bowlers are also working on individual skills, stock ball, variations and stuff like that.

“We haven’t gone into the analysing part, so when we come back after Eid, we will probably work on specific game planning.”

Hathurusingha’s charges ended training on Thursday for Eid break and will reconvene on Aug 2.