THE CRICKETER PREMIUM

England have created a team environment which allows newcomers to flourish

rehan06032301

TAWHID QURESHI IN CHATTOGRAM: Rehan Ahmed became England's youngest men's ODI debutant when Adil Rashid handed him his cap and the fact that he was given a full ten overs was testament to England's willingness to experiment

There's a concept in Bangladeshi culture known as "adda".

There's no single English word equivalent but loosely translated it means to hang out with friends, have a chat, share a few jokes, and idle away an hour or two. On the streets of any town or city, there's a common scene involving groups of men huddled around makeshift tea stalls, enjoying adda.

During their ongoing tour of Bangladesh, England's white-ball squad has resembled one big adda. The practice session yesterday saw a game where someone wearing a helmet was attempting to head a tennis ball, which was hit into the air as high as possible towards a teammate to catch. The scenario radiated wholesome fun of the kind that wouldn't be out of place in a scouts' camp.

Though not as restrictive as their trip to Pakistan, Mark Wood, England's biggest cheerleader of fun, spoke about how the tour of Bangladesh still necessitated some creative thinking to ensure that the monotony of airport, hotel, practice, match doesn't become overbearing. Golf days and watching football have therefore been the norm

As well as the mental health benefits, England have established a team environment which enables newcomers to integrate and flourish. It's not something that could always be said for previous incarnations of the team. But after making his ODI debut in the first match of the series, Will Jacks said that it had felt like "just another match".

Comments

No comments received yet - Be the first!

PREMIUM LATEST

No topics to show right now, sorry!
No topics to show right now, sorry!