It is my challenge to improve consistency with the new ball, claims Charl Langeveldt
Charl Langeveldt has stated that he has taken it upon himself to make the Bangladesh pacers more consistent and work on their swing bowling in order for them to excel in foreign conditions. He said that he wants the country to produce world-class seamers to compete on the international stage.
After a disappointing World Cup campaign that saw Bangladesh finish eighth on the table, the board has made personnel changes and appointed Charl Langeveldt as their bowling coach. The former Proteas pacer seems to have already decided where his focus needs to lie and accepted the challenge to turn around the country’s bowling situation.
"In all formats, you need to be consistent with the new ball. You need to be able to hit your length consistently, and bowl at least four or five balls in the right area from where you will be able to ask questions. Most of the time at home they will play one or two seamers but when you go to South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, you might have to go with three seamers,” Langeveldt explained, reported ESPNCricinfo.
One of the main reasons behind the failure of the Asian country in England was their inability to strike with the new pair of balls. The seamers lacked both pace and the understanding to pitch the ball in areas that could fetch wickets. Since the start of the year, they have only taken seven wickets in the first 10 overs and even their strike bowler Mustafizur Rahman’s all 20 wickets in the World Cup came in the last 20 overs.
“[Mustafizur Rahman] is good with change of pace but it is hard with the new ball. The wicket is not gripping at times. For me it is to get the seam position nice and straight. He uses a lot of offcutters into the wicket but for me the key would be able to swing the ball,” added Langeveldt.
He was the bowling coach of his home country two years ago when they had beat the touring Bangladesh side 2-0 in the Test series. Their fast bowlers could only pick up nine scalps through the course of the series.
"This is a good challenge for me. I was coaching the South Africa bowlers a couple of years ago when we played against them, and we saw them struggle in foreign conditions. They were struggling with consistency in line and length. It is a thing that can be fixed,” stated Langeveldt.
With a vastly experienced Daniel Vettori named as spin bowling coach, that department seems to be covered for the Tigers considering the familiarity with Asian conditions that favour spin bowling. However, the country will have to produce world-class pacers to make an impact on the global stage.
"When you want to play well away from home, you need to have good seamers. India have improved because they play well all over the world. They have good spinners but they also have great seamers. I would like to ensure a few seamers come through the system and be able to compete in international cricket."
