After their 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka, Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo hopes to take his side to the next level and believes that winning overseas is the next step. Domingo said that this will take them to a level where they can be compared with teams who are ahead of them in the ICC rankings.
Domingo wants a change in the team approach with adjustments required in strategical and tactical areas. He wants Bangladesh to improve their scoring pattern especially in foreign conditions which have kept them away from series victories. Domingo feels that winning “one or two big games” will set the platform for their rise, especially in alien conditions.
"The big challenge for this ODI team is to try to win away from home under different conditions," Domingo told ESPNcricinfo. "They are a very good team in Bangladesh. I think if we can get that confidence going away from home, it will be a big thing. I think playing away from home, we need to win one or two big games. Once you get the confidence and belief that you can do it, that will put the team in a much better place mentally,” he further added.
The Bangla Tigers managed to register their 10th home ODI series win since the 2015 World Cup out of their last 11 assignments. The 50 overs format seems to be the format that Bangladesh enjoys the most. However, when it comes to their record in overseas conditions, Bangladesh have the worst win-loss ratio since 2015 having lost 5 out of the 7 series played during that period.
While the fab four of Bangladesh has led from the front, Domingo wants all-round improvement in all the squad members to harbour hopes of winning outside Bangladesh on a more consistent basis.
"There's a certain bit of up-skilling that needs to take place with bat and ball," he said. "People need to improve in various departments to make sure they can win some games away from home. This team has won away from home in other conditions but to challenge them to win in those conditions is something that the team needs to embrace and take it forward,” Domingo said.
Bangladesh’s scoring rate in the 50-overs format has been a concern. In a modern era, where even scores above 350 get chased down easily, Bangladesh seriously need to ponder on this aspect of the game. They have an average of 238 runs in 38 ODIs at home since April 2015.
While their average goes up to 248 in wins, it is 269 when it comes to average scores in overseas victories. With several teams scoring in excess of 300 with utmost ease, Domingo feels that while scores of 230 and 240 could turn out to be enough in places like Dhaka, they must score more in order to win games overseas. This remains one of the primary agendas of Domingo.
"I am not at all concerned by the number of runs we are scoring in Dhaka," he says. "You can only score as much as the wickets allow you sometimes. Not many times teams get 300 in Dhaka. Definitely when you are playing away from home, 230s or 240s are not going to win you many games. We have to be able to challenge ourselves, play expansively to get up to 300 and 350. It is of paramount importance in the modern game,” Domingo further stated.