“The only thing disturbing us is what’s going between our ears”: Bangladesh head coach after a dismal World Cup performance

Bangladesh’s cricket team has experienced a disheartening campaign in the ongoing ICC World Cup, and their head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, took full responsibility for their underwhelming performance. The team had entered the tournament with high hopes, as they were ranked third in the ICC Super League points table, following England and New Zealand. Their initial goal was to secure a spot in the semi-finals, but the reality has been far from their aspirations.

Following their victorious opening match against Afghanistan, Bangladesh faced a string of six consecutive defeats, leaving them languishing at the ninth spot in the tournament standings. Hathurusingha candidly admitted, “I take responsibility as well as anyone in the team.” He expressed disappointment in not only disappointing their loyal fans but also in themselves as a team. The head coach stressed that their subpar performances were not due to a decline in their cricketing skills but were more rooted in the high expectations placed upon them.

Hathurusingha believed that they might have been attempting to do too much in their quest for success on the world stage. He pointed out the significant shift in their mental approach, saying, “The only thing that changed is what happened between our ears.” This perspective hinted at the possibility that the players were feeling the pressure of the global stage and thus unable to perform to their potential.

When questioned about the team’s frequent alterations to the batting order and the need for an additional batter, Hathurusingha did not see these as the primary reasons for their struggles. He dismissed the notion, saying, “I don’t think so (on picking an extra batter).” In his view, the key issue was the psychological aspect – what was transpiring in the players’ minds. Hathurusingha lamented that they had played with a sense of fear and failed to tap into their true abilities. He emphasized the need to analyze and reflect on their performances, suggesting that the high expectations placed upon them may have affected many players.

“Their skills haven’t gone anywhere. The only thing disturbing us is what’s going between our ears. We haven’t played to our potential. We are not sure of what we are capable of. For some reason, we have gone into a little bit of a shell, especially batting. We need to fix this. We have to play fearless cricket. It’s not about the batting order, isn’t it? Where you come to bat, what over what time of the innings you’re coming into bat is more important than the number you bat. We haven’t given any start.”

Regarding his own role as head coach, Hathurusingha mentioned that he only had seven months to prepare the team before the tournament. He indicated that certain events beyond his control had transpired during that time, hinting at potential challenges and disruptions. However, he underscored that his primary focus remained on winning the next game and creating a stress-free environment for the players. Hathurusingha acknowledged that the team’s ability to move forward and perform well would be a separate endeavor beyond the World Cup.

I started seven months ago, so I had seven months. Certain things beyond my control happened in between as well. I don’t think this is the right time for me to think or discuss. At the moment my focus is to win the next game. We are doing everything right. The mood is good. Players are training. They are all hurting but they want to do well. My biggest challenge is to keep the environment stress-free from every angle so that they can perform to the best of their ability,” said Hathurusingha.
“I can’t do much in seven months. I prepared the team for the World Cup. My work has to start after the World Cup. Taking the team forward is a separate thing,” he concluded.

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