Klusener banking on variety, local talent ahead of tough BPL opener

Lance Klusener, the Rajshahi Kings coach, hoped that the variety in the team's bowling attack could complement the batting strength, ahead of the Kings' BPL opener against Dhaka Dynamites on Saturday. The Kings arsenal includes Mustafizur Rahman and Isuru Udana, both left-arm fast bowlers who are a handful in the slog overs. They will be backed up by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Arafat Sunny, Qais Ahmed and Seekuge Prasanna, all of whom offer a perfect mix of offspin, left-arm spin and legspin to both control and attack in T20s.

Klusener, on his first assignment in the BPL, said that the onus would be on the Kings' domestic and subcontinent players to get them going in the early stages to let their English imports settle in. However, both Laurie Evans, the London-born right-hand batsman, and Netherlands' Ryan ten Doeschate, who plays county cricket for Essex, have been playing in various leagues in the UAE and Nepal recently.

"We have got a good bowling attack. It's just about finding the balance," Klusener said. "And we have lots of variety, so that's an advantage for us. At the same time, we have some wonderful batters and we will try to look at some decent scores to defend.

"I think the Bangladeshi players came from a lot of cricket, and that's good. There are a couple of players from England who have not played for a while. But the make-up of our side is players from subcontinent, and that is something we will try to do to make it right. We have very few from outside, so hopefully that will be a good step, because we think that they have better knowledge to play in these conditions."

Despite the presence of some experienced names, the Kings have appointed Mehidy their captain for the season. Klusener said that the decision was made with an eye on developing Mehidy's leadership skills for the future.

"I think in his own right, he is a fantastic player. He is very young, but he has been doing it for a while and this is a step up for him. We got some experienced players around him that will help him.

"So we are looking to give him the platform to make a name for himself as a captain. And who knows - going forward, he might be somebody who Bangladesh might look at for future."

Klusener, in effect, is the biggest name in the Kings dressing room, which goes to show that he is the head coach of an underdog side. The Kings' opponents on Saturday, the Dhaka Dynamites, boast four of the best allrounders in T20s - Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard - apart from a squad that has depth.

"I am not trying to put too much attention to the other teams," Klusener said. "I think our focus will be on ourselves, on what we can do. Obviously, there are some really good teams out there, and there is no easy game. But our focus will be on ourselves and on what we can do to try and win games."