Pothas blames physical strength disparity for Bangladesh's struggles
Throughout Bangladesh’s tour of India, players have pointed to various reasons for their underwhelming performances, ranging from the dominance of Indian cricket to the contrast between the IPL and the BPL.
Today on 10 october, in Hyderabad, Bangladesh's fielding coach Nic Pothas highlighted the physical strength gap between the two sides as a key factor.
Bangladesh, having lost the two-match Test series 2-0, have also suffered defeats in the first two games of the three-match T20I series. India, unbeaten in T20I series at home, secured their 16th consecutive series victory with a match to spare. The final game of the series will take place tomorrow at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium. During a press conference, Pothas addressed Bangladesh's recurring batting failures, which have drawn criticism throughout the series.
When asked about Bangladesh's six-hitting capabilities compared to India's in the T20 format, Pothas frequently emphasised the need to learn from their opponents. He pointed to the physical differences between the players, saying, "It's a tough comparison. If one player weighs 95-100 kg and another is 65 kg, naturally the heavier player will hit the ball further. Of course, timing and technique are important, and we are constantly working on those aspects."
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Pothas went on to explain how the Indian Premier League (IPL) plays a significant role in shaping India's T20 success, saying, "You also have to look at the IPL. It's the best competition in the world, with top-quality players. The IPL prepares players for the international stage. Comparing India's six-hitting with ours is like comparing how many sixes the West Indies hit compared to us. They have much stronger players. We are working on our strength and conditioning, but you can't fight genetics."
Pothas was then questioned about Bangladesh's failure to post competitive scores in the first two T20s, both of which saw them struggle to reach even 150 runs. He acknowledged India's strength, stating, "We are playing against a formidable side on their home turf. You're right, the difference between the two teams is clear. For instance, Emon (Parvez Hossain), who has played only two matches, is in the top order. Yes, we do have experienced players, but the gap is there."
Despite pointing to external factors, Pothas admitted Bangladesh's shortcomings in the series, saying, "We didn't bat to our potential. We should have scored 170-180 runs. India may have reached 220, but that's down to our bowling. I accept that. We needed more runs on a brilliant wicket. India bowled extremely well, but we also missed several opportunities throughout the match."
