Cricnepal: The idea of a starting an inning with a front line fast bowler is that he will get you wicket, he might so for runs early as power plays are on but he will get you wicket. In Nepal’s case in this ACC T20 Cup only the latter part has been true.
In the two matches Nepal played with only one genuine fast bowler- Amrit Bhattarai and he has not been able to impress, going for 8.6 runs per over & without a single wicket in the two matches. Against Hong Kong he was clobbered for 25 runs off two over, giving them the start they needed to win the match.
“All these games looking at these conditions we are going with a seamer and 3 spinners supported by Paras and Manjeet, we had to pick one between Amrit and Sawad and looking at their past performance and form we went in with Amrit”, Dassanayeke told Cricnepal when asked about the set up of bowling attack.
There is no question on Amrit selection, eversince Sawad’s injury Amrit has outperformed Sawad and also has played more international matches in recent times but even with the best choice we have not been able to get results. Nepal’s fast bowling hasn’t been as par with other teams.
Spin Vs Seam in ACC T20 2013 at TU Cricket Ground
Dassanayeke’s decision of going in with a seamer and 3 spinners are justifiable with spinners(and slow bowlers) taking more than twice as many wicket(39 Wickets) as that by the fast and medium fast bowlers(18 Wickets) in the matches played at TU International Cricket Ground. Spinners have taken two 4-wicket hauls and three 3-wicket hauls underlining spinner’s role in TU’s pitches. On the other hand none of the fast bowlers(not even the dreaded fast bowling of Afghan lead by Shapoor Zadran) have been able to take more than 2 wickets in a match.
There has however been a pattern in which the weaker team’s fast bowlers and stronger (here Afghan Hong Kong, Oman) differ. Fast bowlers from Hong Kong (RR=5.25 RR,Wf=4 Ws=4), Afghanistan(5.1, Wf=3 ) and Oman(RR=8, Wf=2) have been economic and have provided their teams with early break through. They haven’t been as successful as the spin attack but have laid a platform so when spin is finally introduced they have less to do.
However seamers from weaker teams have not picked up wickets and have been clobbered all around the ground.
Contending Nepal(RR=7.6 W=3) is a strong Team, it only betters teams like Kuwait(RR=14 W=2), Maldives(RR=14 W=0, Bahrain(RR=6.1 W=4), and Oman(RR=8 W=2) in economy and thus is no way close to the top teams Afghanistan and Hong Kong. Besides we played the first match against much weaker team Maldives, if we disregard that Nepali fast bowlers went for 52 against Hong Kong today i.e RR=13.6 with no wickets.
Coach Dassanayeke when inquired about accepted that the fast bowling was not up the mark, ” the pace attack has definitely not adjusted properly to the condition we have in the afternoon, and in today’s match Hong Kong batted pretty well. But again we need to be better than this, we are better than this and we have shown that in last tournaments” Dassanayeke told Cricnepal.
When inquired about change in bowling strategy and Chandra Sawad’s return Dassanayeke replied that the team had two days to think about that and the next game they would come back with the best combination possible.
“It was a tough game for us but we will come back hard next game”, he said in a consoling tone.
