Bangladesh bowling coach extends support to the beleaguered Liton Das, expects Mustafizur Rahman to have an impact soon

“We have to be on our A game if we want to challenge them and ultimately win the game,” Gibson, the team’s bowling coach, said. “We know that England are a very powerful batting line-up. The key is to be accurate with what we deliver, and back ourselves. We know they will come out hard, but they also give you chances.

“The message is not to panic. Understand that you will get hit off a good ball. That’s their mentality. But they also give you opportunity to take wickets. We must be calm to execute our skills and plans, and considered about every ball we bowl.”

Bangladesh have dropped six catches in the tournament so far, but Gibson tried to play down the misses. “One or two catches get dropped in every cricket match. Obviously when the catches play a part in the result, it is highlighted more but we do a lot of catching practice,” he said. “When the guys are out in the middle under pressure, mistakes like catches going down happen. I won’t say it is a concern.”

“The fact that a couple of catches went down doesn’t diminish what he contributes to the team. Of course, anybody can drop a catch. It is highlighted because those catches, you can argue, contributed to the result”

Ottis Gibson on Liton Das

Gibson said that the coaching staff had been fully supportive of Liton, who has also been in the middle of a lean run with the bat, and was also fined for an argument with Lahiru Kumara during the game.

“He is one of our best fielders. The fact that a couple of catches went down doesn’t diminish what he contributes to the team. Of course, anybody can drop a catch. It is highlighted because those catches, you can argue, contributed to the result,” Gibson said. “He has been one of our key players for a while. The reality is that any other fielder in that position could have dropped those catches as well. We remind him of his quality, and that he is a key player for us. We support the player, whether it is Liton Das or any other player.”

“Fizz is a key bowler for us in any conditions. His cutters are more effective in Bangladesh but one thing I like about him is his ability to adjust to conditions very quickly,” Gibson said. “He is key especially in the backend of the innings, but he can also swing the ball back in now. We have worked very hard on it. He is a weapon for us with both the new and old ball.”