Bangladesh's newly-appointed technical consultant Sridharan Sriram, who is also the head coach for the Asia Cup stated that his greatest strength will be starting 'fresh' and without the baggage of Bangladesh's poor run of T20 performances as well as his own disappointments from his playing days.
Sriram was asked how his 10,000 domestic runs aid him as a coach as the coach was forthright in stating that his playing career was no longer important. He stated that his experience working in diverse cultures can benefit his cause.
"I just forgot the fact that I was a player and it doesn't matter how many runs you have scored because at the end of the day I am here to help other people and that is my biggest strength and I don't carry baggage of my playing days, my frustration and my past into coaching. The others have different set of eyes and my experience of dealing with different cultures like work with the IPL, work with the Indian boys and work with the Aussie set-up and so I think there is a good mixture of the east and the west," Sriram said at the press conference in Dubai.
"Coming into the culture like Bangladesh I understand the upbringing and I understand the way they approach the game and at the same time I can bring those professionalism and the expectations and I can really set clear expectations of what is required at this level from a professional stand point so I think it's a good sort of combination and I am looking forward to it," he added.
When asked if he can make a change in a short amount of time, Sriram was adamant that he was not concerned by what has happened in the past.
"I am carrying with a fresh set of eyes and I am carrying no baggage. What you are saying is news to me and so I am not looking it at that way and looking at fresh set of eyes and so I am bringing in my ideas and I am bringing in fresh energies and so and I am just wanting to get the team together and start afresh," he added.
Sriram shared the media that the team director Khaled Mahmud originally approached him about working with the Tigers. The Bangladesh coaching staff includes great former players such as Allan Donald and Rangana Herath, as well as Jamie Siddons, who has previously worked as the head coach in Bangladesh. Sriram indicated that his mission would be to bring the coaching resources together and that he would not lead but rather participate, despite the fact that he had arrived on very short notice.
