Steve Rhodes lauds Liton Das ahead of flying to Ireland
Rhodes and Shakib discuss
Newly-appointed head coach of Bangladesh, Steve Rhodes, has lauded Liton Das for the talent that he possesses and the way that he applied it in the third T20I against West Indies at the Caribbean.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was at his vehement best as he scored 61 runs from only 32 balls against the hosts to give Bangladesh a great start to the final and all-important third T20I.
The Tigers ultimately went on to win the game and the series and Liton was awarded the man of the match award. When asked about the talented batsman, Rhodes told Cricbuzz that Das’ form is a “good sign” as it shows he is someone who performs in crucial moments.
“He was playing well throughout the (Windies) tour but he didn't quite go on in lots of games after getting some starts. To watch him play in that final game (T20I) was amazing because when it really mattered, he played a very powerful game with good control and finesse.
“He showed that he is definitely a player who enjoys the big stage of a big game. To go into that match and get that man of the match award was a special thing for him and Bangladesh. So hopefully, it is a good sign for the future."
He also spoke about the captaincy of both Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan as he lauded both of them for their leadership qualities, implying that while Mashrafe is a role model, Shakib is a tactically astute leader as he has played in several franchise leagues in various countries.
“When you look at Bangladesh, Mashrafe is a fine captain. He leads by example. He is a warrior-like captain and all the guys follow him.
“We have got Shakib as the captain in T20s and Test matches, and tactically he is a fantastic captain. All the guys respect him, the way he plays his cricket. But his cricketing brain, and particularly in T20s, is amazing.
“That is because he has played so much T20 cricket around the world, with so many franchises. He knows all the players and he knows the game (T20s). We are very lucky to have two very good captains."
Unlike his predecessor Chandika Hathurusingha, who spent more days on holidays with his family in Australia than actually coaching the team during his tenure as the coach of Bangladesh, Steve Rhodes is a man who has rolled up his sleeve and has been more involved with the team.
He is set to witness the Bangladesh A team in Ireland to evaluate the sort of talent present there. According to him, having a good set of players in the A team will improve the strength in depth of the Tigers, which is why he wants to watch them play and make assessments.
“It was nice that I had the opportunity to see the members of the Test team, ODI team and the T20 team. So I have now managed to look at around 20 to 22 players. When I go to Ireland, although I will see some of our players that I have looked at previously, for me it is important to know the next crop of players.
“Already I have seen a couple of them and hopefully, will get the chance to observe a few more in Ireland. I hope to spend some time with the 'A' team coach Simon Helmut, because if we want to have plenty of depth in Bangladesh cricket, the 'A' team needs to do well and they have done very well so far.
“I am very pleased and looking forward to catching up with them and see them play.”
