‘Play Aggressive Cricket’: Amol Muzumdar’s Rallying Call To India Ahead Of Women’s T20 Asia Cup

Indian women's cricket team head coach Amol Muzumdar is not too fazed by the side's recent form and wants his young team to play "aggressive" cricket at the Women's T20 Asia Cup and set the tone for next six months, which includes the Asian Games campaign.

India face a key reality check in the shortest format following recent inconsistencies on overseas tours and at global tournaments.

India, who have lost nine of their 16 T20Is this year, will open their T20 Asia Cup campaign against Thailand on Sunday.

"We don't pay too much attention to the form. You are talking about 16 T20Is in the last six months. But at the same time, we know what scope of improvement this team has got," Muzumdar told reporters on Saturday.

"There is a huge scope of improvement. There is a young side. I think, if you look at it, we are trying to play some good cricket, good aggressive cricket.

"And from here on, we will try and set the tone for the next six months."

Spinners could be crucial

Muzumdar said spinners could play a key role in the humid Dubai conditions.

"I think they are crucial. Spinners definitely are crucial. We have got a variety of spinners in this side. Looking forward to it. They should be up and running.

"In a couple of sessions, we have seen that the pitches have got a little bit of help for the spinners as well. So, I guess some good signs for us. Of course, we focus on the game."

India-Pakistan clash

Asked about the prospect of an India-Pakistan clash, Muzumdar preferred to keep the focus on cricket.

"Of course, we don't want to reveal it. Look, we try to play the best cricket on the ground. And off the field stuff, we don't focus on.

"We try to play the best cricket that we know on that particular day. And we will speak about this when we play that game. But at the moment, we are focusing on tomorrow's game."

Asian Games preparation

Asked about preparations for the Asian Games, which will be held in September-October in Japan, Muzumdar said the team had a productive 15-day camp at the Centre of Excellence.

"We had a fantastic camp at the Centre of Excellence. A 15-day camp which was well taken care of by the SNC. We worked really hard on our fitness. We worked terribly hard on the fielding part as well. As I said, there is some scope for improvement," he said.

"We are trying to pay utmost attention to those minute details of certain aspects of the game. We focused on that in that camp. It was a fantastic camp.

"As far as I am concerned, as a coach, I was really happy with the camp and the results of the camp. The preparation has been good. It is just about going out there and executing our plans."

Adapting to Dubai conditions

Talking about the weather in Dubai, Muzumdar said the team was focused on adapting to the heat and humidity.

"Definitely, it is a little hot and humid over here in Dubai. But we are just focused on getting used to the conditions.

"Most of the team members have been a part of the T20 World Cup, which was played a couple of years back. So we know the conditions here, we are trying to get used to it."

Muzumdar did not reveal the playing XI, saying every player in the squad should be ready to step in while workload management would also be taken into consideration.

"We haven't discussed about the 11th. But whoever is there in the 15, they should be ready to play in the 11th. I think, as I said, of course, there are some things about workload. But we try and avoid talking into the set-up," he said.

"All I would say is that if we have prepared well, as what I said, in the camp, then I think taking care of them for the next three or four weeks becomes easier. Basically, you work hard in the camp and then everything else falls in its place.

"I guess that kind of a word, we try and avoid it within the group. We have to manage certain things and we are trying to do that."

India hungry for tournament success

India have won the tournament a record seven times but are not entering this edition as defending champions.

"I don't want to go too far ahead. One game at a time. We will focus on tomorrow's game," Muzumdar said.

"This group has been a special one. There is no doubt about it. We have done well in the ODI set-up. We have done well in the Test matches that we have played.

"In the last five Test matches, we have won four of them. They are hungry for success. They are hungry for winning some tournaments. Every tournament is important. Every tournament is crucial for this set-up. This set of players are really hungry for success. You would be able to see that in the coming future."

Jemimah Rodrigues will be missed

Jemimah Rodrigues will miss the Women's T20 Asia Cup and the upcoming Asian Games after suffering a right hamstring injury earlier this month.

"Look, speaking about Jemimah, I have always maintained that she is a clutch player for us. She will definitely be missed," Muzumdar said.

"But then, having said that, her recovery is very important for us. Her rehab is well taken care of at the Centre of Excellence in Bangalore. And I think, yeah, she will be missed.

"But there are some other players who have come into the team and I am sure they will do well. But having said that, Jemimah will be missed."