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Dav Whatmore National Coach
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July has arrived and the triangular tournament moves ever closer. Ganguly's men and the Black Caps will be in Sri Lanka shortly. We have stepped up preparations accordingly and are off to Dambulla for a training camp this
week.
The base fitness of the players has now been established, so we have been
focusing more on specifics and working hard on individual skills.
This two-month break in Sri Lanka's international commitments allows us to
analyse the techniques of the players and provides us with sufficient time
to iron out any technical shortcomings that are identified.
This is usually a case of fine-tuning, rather than major corrective surgery.
The players that have reached the national squad invariably have a
fundamentally sound technique, so we rarely need work on the basics, though,
of course, they remain vital to a player's continued success.
We are working at the margins, aiming to increase the productivity of each
player - making sure that we maximise the potential of the team. The
productivity increases may be small but they may be the difference between
success and failure.
Thus, for example, Owen Mottau and I have been working with some of the
batsmen on getting into the best position to assess the line and length of
the ball, paying particular attention to the initial foot movement, or what
we call the 'adjustment step.'
Another aspect of our game that has been analysed is playing on the leg
side. This is an area with a high potential for run scoring, but some find
the leg stump awkward because of the lack of room. We have therefore looked
at some technical refinements, all aimed at increasing the efficiency with
which batsmen score runs in that area.
These technical adjustments have been made, so it's now a matter of
ingraining them through continual assessment. The players too have to get
used to the changes. Indeed, in the short term, or what we call the
transition period, the players may struggle in the middle - hence why you
need a break in the international calendar.
The bowlers too have been working hard: the fast bowlers with Rumesh
Ratnayake and the spin bowlers with Lalith Kaluperuma.
The fast bowlers benefited greatly from the visit of Terry Oliver from
Australia a few weeks ago, who carried out an in depth video analysis of
each bowlers action, which helped us to clearly identify technical faults
and areas for improvement.
Like the batting, we are looking to boost productivity and Rumesh has been
working hard on what we call 'straight lines' - making sure that the head,
arms and hips are all flowing in the same direction. This ensures that the
ball is propelled with maximum efficiency, allowing the bowler to bowl
longer with the same accuracy.
Lalith has added his expertise to the spinners during the training sessions.
Once a week he also has been having a specialist session with the
individuals; using video analysis to identify areas for improvement and
monitor progress.
Next week we travel to Dambulla for a three-day training camp. This will
focus minds on the approaching tournament and provide us with valuable time
to discuss various issues and tactics in the evenings. Thus, for example,
Lalith will sit with the spinners to facilitate a group discussion about the
best field placing and tactical options available to us over the coming few
weeks. The fast bowlers and batsmen will have similar group discussions.
The training camp will also provide a valuable opportunity to get used to
conditions in Dambulla. We have only played there once, so the more match
practice we can have the better. Every ground has different characteristics
and a detailed understanding of the pitch, outfield, and general climate
will be invaluable.
During the first two days individual and group net sessions on the square
will be interspersed with plenty of fielding drills. Then, on the final day,
we will play a full 50 over game, something that will be repeated upon our
return to Colombo.
All of the above should give us the best possible chance of winning the
upcoming triangular and sets us up well for a busy international schedule
during the next 12 months. We are looking forward with confidence to the
challenges ahead.