Tanzid hopeful of making an impact at the T20 WC

Bangladesh opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim on Monday (December 8) expressed satisfaction over the camp organised by the cricket board ahead of the BPL. The BCB organized a short coaching stint under the supervision of head coach Phil Simmons for the T20 batters ahead of the Bangladesh Premier League, country's lone franchise-based T20 tournament.

BCB came up with this move since the batters will have little time to work on their skillset after the BPL given the World Cup starts immediately. "It's going very well. We won't have much time after the BPL, so having such a specific batting camp is very positive. We've been working on what extra skills we showed in the last few series and how we can improve from there," Tanzid told reporters following the practice session.

"We're also working on the kind of game plans opponents may have for us in a World Cup or any big event - what areas bowlers might target. The coaches have been repeatedly focusing on one specific thing: how to bat in the powerplay and how to find gaps," he said.

"It's basically about match situations - what kind of field a bowler may set, where the fielders might be, and how we can find gaps within that. Sometimes we take high risks in low-risk situation which leads to losing two or three wickets quickly. So we're working on how to score boundaries with low risk, keep the scoreboard moving and bat more fluently," he said.

The in-form batter, who averages 60 while chasing, admitted that he enjoys when there is a target in front of him. "Absolutely (I enjoy chasing). After the first innings you understand the nature of the wicket and what plans the opposition might have for you. When you have a target in front, it becomes much easier," said the left-handed batter.

"If I can bat with that mindset, I feel it becomes simpler. If I can apply the same approach batting first, I think I can succeed there too." Tanzid also said that they are ready bat anywhere as the national team management decided to rotate their openers - Litton Kumar Das, Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Parvez Hossain Emon - in their recent T20I set-up, a move that raised eyebrows.

"Honestly, no one is settled here. Whoever the team needs in whichever position will play there. Even in the last series, you saw an opener being asked to bat at No. 3 or No. 4. So I don't think there's anything called "settled". The team will do whatever it feels is best," said Tanzid.

"I haven't batted at three or four yet, so I can't really say what it feels like. But if I get that opportunity in the future, I'll try to fulfil whatever the team demands," he said adding that he is looking to make an impact in the global tournament. "From the start of my career until now, especially in ICC events, I haven't been able to play to my full potential. I always think about how I can be more consistent across series. I don't know how successful I've been so far, but I'm trying to contribute consistently in ICC events as well," he said.

"Earlier, you saw that I would get good starts in almost every match but couldn't carry on or play long innings - I would get out midway. Now we're working on staying mentally fitter and stronger so I can convert good starts into big scores and maybe even finish games," he said.

"It's a bit better now, but there's still room for improvement. I'm trying step by step. I believe that even if I play a few dot balls, I can make up for it. It's not always about hitting boundaries - sometimes you need singles and doubles. My goal is to turn good starts into consistent big scores," he concluded.