SYLHET, March 2, 2020 (BSS)- A struggling Zimbabwe hopes to stay alive in the three-match ODI series, emboldened by the return of the senior player Sean Williams, who missed one-off Test and the first ODI due to be with his ailing wife and new-born daughter.
Zimbabwe will take on Bangladesh for the second ODI tomorrow (Tuesday) at
the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, a match that is ‘do or die’ match
for them. A defeat in this match means, they would squander the chance of
winning the series after their Test drubbing.
As Williams, their best batsman returns to team while Craig Ervine is
expected to play, the visitors are hoping for the best.
Williams, however, said that the senior players should have to take the
onus to help the side get back on track.
“I think being 1-0 down is mentally tough for the guys. It was
disappointing yesterday in all aspects. Having a plan would be a key to move
forward tomorrow. Hopefully I can bring a bit of energy and calmness,”
Williams said ahead of the match.
“Craig Ervine is getting there too, so he will be ready to play. I also
think taking good decisions over a long period of time is crucial. Guys like
Brendan and Raza play a massive role in our team. Having them firing is going
to be extremely important for us,” he added.
According to Williams, the Zimbabwe players vastly couldn’t apply
themselves which is why they let Bangladesh take upper-hand in every game. He
also urged the batsmen to shrug off the mental block and covert the 50 to 100
in a bid to throw stiff challenge to Bangladesh.
“I don’t think it’s a mental block. I think it is a simple thing of
applying ourselves and getting runs on the board. I think our batsmen get in
and get out, after getting 50s or 60s. Bangladesh batsmen have got 100s
against us. I think getting 100s is extremely important, especially from the
senior players,” he remarked.
He also thinks that there are some technical glitches which they should
have to rectify before the second game.
“There are a few technical things. Quite a few of our batsmen get caught on
the back foot. Coming out of our crease and looking to play forward is a big
thing. Applying is the next step. It is all well and good talking about it,”
he concluded.