da 888casino： Dav Whatmore National Coach July has arrived and the triangular tournament moves ever closer
Dav Whatmore01-Jul-2001Dav Whatmore
National CoachJuly 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 thisweek.The base fitness of the players has now been established, so we have beenfocusing more on specifics and working hard on individual skills.This two-month break in Sri Lanka’s international commitments allows us toanalyse the techniques of the players and provides us with sufficient timeto 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 afundamentally 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 eachplayer – making sure that we maximise the potential of the team. Theproductivity increases may be small but they may be the difference betweensuccess and failure.Thus, for example, Owen Mottau and I have been working with some of thebatsmen on getting into the best position to assess the line and length ofthe ball, paying particular attention to the initial foot movement, or whatwe call the ‘adjustment step.’Another aspect of our game that has been analysed is playing on the legside. This is an area with a high potential for run scoring, but some findthe leg stump awkward because of the lack of room. We have therefore lookedat some technical refinements, all aimed at increasing the efficiency withwhich batsmen score runs in that area.These technical adjustments have been made, so it’s now a matter ofingraining them through continual assessment. The players too have to getused to the changes. Indeed, in the short term, or what we call thetransition period, the players may struggle in the middle – hence why youneed a break in the international calendar.The bowlers too have been working hard: the fast bowlers with RumeshRatnayake and the spin bowlers with Lalith Kaluperuma.The fast bowlers benefited greatly from the visit of Terry Oliver fromAustralia a few weeks ago, who carried out an in depth video analysis ofeach bowlers action, which helped us to clearly identify technical faultsand areas for improvement.Like the batting, we are looking to boost productivity and Rumesh has beenworking 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 theball is propelled with maximum efficiency, allowing the bowler to bowllonger 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 theindividuals; using video analysis to identify areas for improvement andmonitor progress.Next week we travel to Dambulla for a three-day training camp. This willfocus minds on the approaching tournament and provide us with valuable timeto discuss various issues and tactics in the evenings. Thus, for example,Lalith will sit with the spinners to facilitate a group discussion about thebest field placing and tactical options available to us over the coming fewweeks. The fast bowlers and batsmen will have similar group discussions.The training camp will also provide a valuable opportunity to get used toconditions in Dambulla. We have only played there once, so the more matchpractice we can have the better. Every ground has different characteristicsand a detailed understanding of the pitch, outfield, and general climatewill be invaluable.During the first two days individual and group net sessions on the squarewill 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 ourreturn to Colombo.All of the above should give us the best possible chance of winning theupcoming triangular and sets us up well for a busy international scheduleduring the next 12 months. We are looking forward with confidence to thechallenges ahead.