The Afghanistan coach believes getting Gurbaz to understand every game isn’t a T20 is the key to his ODI evolution
Mohammad Isam08-Jul-2023Rahmanullah Gurbaz staying still and smacking the ball gives Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott a lot of pleasure. Gurbaz’s career-best 145 consigned Bangladesh to a 142-run defeat as the visitors clinched the three-match ODI series with one game still remaining. Afghanistan put up a formidable 331 for 9 in their 50 overs, banking on record 256-run opening stand between Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, who also made a century.Gurbaz struck 13 fours and eight sixes in his 125-ball stay, and was particularly destructive in his final 25 balls off which he smacked 45 runs. Afghanistan raised the tempo during that portion of their innings, scoring 69 runs in six overs leading up to Gurbaz’s dismissal in the 37th over.Trott said Gurbaz and Ibrahim complemented each other very well.”He [Gurbaz] can score everywhere around the ground,” Trott said. “He sometimes rushes it and thinks that every game is a T20. The longer Gurbaz bats for us, the more chance we have of winning. I was obviously very happy with how [the opening partnership] was going, especially the shots that they played. It was certainly on a wicket where if you bowl well, you can create some pressure. It had a little variable bounce.”We were going to bat first if we won the toss, having looked at the weather. There was no rain. There wasn’t as much grass as the previous match. I think the way that Gurbaz played in his natural attacking style, while Ibrahim was a nice foil at the other side. Gurbaz didn’t have to worry about another new batsman at the other end. It was a good sort of dovetailing if you like. I was happy with the first 35 overs.”Gurbaz doesn’t need to worry too much about his technique, Trott believes. All he needs is to stand tall and let his instincts do the rest. “I think it was about Gurbaz being as still as possible at release,” Trott said. “Sometimes he is moving. Sometimes a player as talented as Gurbaz can get wrapped up in technique instead of just watching the ball.”It is about making the game as simple as possible with the hand-eye coordination that Gurbaz has. It is about just being simple in the mind, technically as well. He has worked hard, so hopefully he can back it up in the third ODI.”Afghanistan players have a chat with coach Jonathan Trott at training•Munir Uz Zaman/AFP/Getty Images
Zadran’s improvement also impressed the coach, who reckons the openrr is showing maturity beyond his age. His two hundreds and two fifties against Sri Lanka caught the eye, and he made 100 off 119 balls against Bangladesh, batting until the 46th over to ensure his side got close to the 300-run mark.”He [Zadran] is very good,” Trott said. “He will improve as he gets older. He showed maturity in the knock realising that Gurbaz was attacking. Sometimes for a young player, you try to copy that, and maybe get out of your little bubble. It was important that he stayed there till the end. Otherwise we may have lost our way if he got out as well. Credit to him for a fantastic innings.”Afghanistan’s ODI series win also comes off the back of a massive Test defeat to Bangladesh last month. They lost by 546 runs, lasting only 39 and 36 overs respectively in the two innings.”I arrived in Bangladesh disappointed with the way the Test went,” Trott said. “We learned as a side. We realised how much progress Bangladesh has made in all areas of the game. We needed to be at the top of our game to come here and compete.”It is important that we focus on the next game as well. We can’t get too wound up or hyped up. We can’t rest on our laurels if we want to improve as a side looking ahead to the Asia Cup and World Cup. When you go to competitions and Cups, you need to keep winning.”Afghanistan also bowled well to defend their total. Bangladesh lost wickets in clusters of three each; the first three for 25 runs, the second three for seven runs and the last three wickets for 30 runs. Trott felt that Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman gave Afghanistan the perfect start with the ball.”Fazal started the first over with a maiden. You want to start well with the ball defending 330,” Trott said. “Sometimes you can let the opposition get a good start. The way that he [Farooqi] and Mujeeb bowled were fantastic. I think we learned how to bowl on this wicket. Hopefully we can apply that in the third game.”
