Australia bowling coach Daniel Vettori on their final ICC Cricket World Cup group game against Bangladesh
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00:00 So Dan, do you expect to bowl in the power play tomorrow?
00:03 [LAUGHTER]
00:06 For my next question, how is Glenn Maxwell?
00:09 He's obviously-- was feeling it from what I understand.
00:12 You expect him to play?
00:13 Where is he at?
00:14 He's definitely been in full recovery mode
00:16 the last few days.
00:17 I think we all saw the effects of the innings,
00:19 and in particular, the heat.
00:22 So I think today's a big day.
00:24 See how he pulls up.
00:26 But obviously, we've had a couple of days off,
00:28 and there's been no training.
00:30 He's not here today, but we'll just
00:32 see how he feels as the day continues on.
00:34 But yeah, it's obviously been pretty hectic for him
00:37 the last few days.
00:38 So will he have to do any sort of fitness test or anything,
00:40 or is it just a matter of how he feels on Saturday, tomorrow?
00:43 I think it'll be how it feels.
00:45 I don't think it'll be a fitness test scenario.
00:47 We understand that, obviously, now that the semifinal
00:50 is pretty definitive in Kolkata on the 16th,
00:54 that it will be a build towards that.
00:57 And I think he does have a track record of being
01:00 able to bounce back pretty quickly,
01:02 even with some time away from the game.
01:04 So I think, like I said, it will depend on how the day goes
01:06 and then make a decision.
01:08 Being a day game as well, probably me tonight,
01:11 they'll make the call.
01:13 Coach, everyone's rightfully raving about Maxwell the batter.
01:19 But can you just give an insight about Maxwell the spinner?
01:23 How has the work that has been put in by all of you
01:28 to ensure that he has emerged as one of the most effective
01:31 yet economical spinners in the tournament?
01:34 I think you have to give Glenn most of that credit.
01:36 I think he's a very willing bowler,
01:39 and I think sometimes that can be the hardest part of being
01:42 an all-rounder, that even though you do have the skills,
01:44 the desire's not always there.
01:47 And Max, he loves bowling, and he loves the strategy
01:51 that goes into it, probably like with his batting.
01:53 So I think you see a bowler that's evolved
01:56 over the last few years, and I think he's been able to,
01:58 in particular, start to bowl over the wicket to right-handers,
02:01 which sort of went out of fashion for a period of time.
02:04 And I think it's his ability to almost get near topspin,
02:09 challenge the stumps the whole time from round and over
02:11 the wicket.
02:12 And I think particularly in the power play,
02:14 going over the wicket and being able to either skid it on
02:16 or spin it back into the right-handed batsman
02:19 has been his biggest improvement and meant that he can bowl
02:23 at any stage of the innings.
02:24 And even Paddy has the confidence to turn to him
02:26 in the 46th or 47th over the other day to two right-handers.
02:30 So I think he's an extremely confident bowler because of all
02:34 the work he puts in and how skilful and intelligent
02:37 he is around his bowling.
02:40 G'day, Dan.
02:41 Steve Smith, how's he going, and do you expect him to play?
02:45 And also, do you think Sean Abbott is a chance to play?
02:48 Is there a temptation to give him a go just in case he is
02:51 needed in the finals?
02:53 I think if you take it all the way back to the start to try
02:56 and get those three fast bowlers through nine games in a short
02:59 period of time, we always probably presume that that would
03:02 be a tough challenge.
03:04 So Sean was always in the picture as a potential replacement
03:07 for one of them.
03:08 So I think that will come into the equation once again,
03:11 I think, just weighing up how everyone comes through these
03:14 last few days.
03:15 But I don't think it will be a case of trying to play a game
03:18 just for the sake of it.
03:19 It will be a case of if one of those three fast bowlers needs
03:23 a bit of a break.
03:25 Steve Smith, I'm probably cold.
03:26 You're better to answer that than me.
03:28 I'm not really up to speed with smudges.
03:32 I don't talk to the batters.
03:35 Just on the bowling then, Mitchell Stark hasn't had the
03:39 impact that he - he sets a very high standard from a World Cup
03:41 perspective, but hasn't had the impact that he did in '15 and
03:44 '19.
03:45 What are the things you're sort of working on and what do you
03:48 put that down to and how can he sort of take that next step to
03:51 sort of have more of an impact over the last few games?
03:53 I think you still see the threat every game,
03:56 the ability to swing the ball in that first two to three overs.
04:00 And particularly at night time, I think we've seen the difference
04:04 between bowling in the afternoon as opposed to night.
04:07 So I think whenever a team wins that toss and has that
04:09 opportunity, particularly someone like Stark,
04:11 I think back to the Netherlands game in Delhi,
04:14 how destructive and effective he can be.
04:16 So I think if we can have the ability to set that up,
04:19 it makes a big difference.
04:20 Obviously tomorrow's different in a day game,
04:22 so that variance won't be there.
04:25 But I think we, the coaching staff,
04:27 just see that threat the whole time in those first few overs.
04:30 And even if it hasn't gone exactly how it was wanted to,
04:34 we have no doubt that he can be destructive on his day.
04:38 And I know Mitch is working hard towards that.
04:42 This being an inconsequential game as such,
04:45 because you're already in the semifinals,
04:47 what are the steps you are taking to make sure that you don't
04:50 lose out anything, you don't miss?
04:53 I think the home dressing room at Eden Gardens is better than the away
04:56 one, so we want second place so we can get in that dressing room.
05:00 I think you have to take every factor into it,
05:03 whether rain plays a part, I don't know.
05:05 But to finish second is still important because it has some very
05:09 minimal benefits, but it will be a focus for the group to say that we
05:14 can have an opportunity to finish second if we can win this game well.
05:17 So I think that's the starting point.
05:18 I think standards have been set.
05:20 The fact we've won six games in a row after a tough start,
05:23 the fact that you want momentum going into the semifinal,
05:26 all those little things.
05:28 And there's personal performances.
05:29 I think that's the main thing.
05:31 We've had some guys who have had amazing tournaments,
05:34 and then some guys who probably have lacked opportunities to impact
05:38 games, and those are the guys that will be wanting to step up in this
05:41 situation.
05:47 Dan, just on Adam Zampa, he obviously had a slow start to the tournament
05:51 and has faced a lot of physical issues, and obviously bowled extremely
05:55 well through the middle part.
05:57 Just your view of him through the tournament,
06:00 what you've liked about his world cup?
06:04 Yes, it was obviously a very difficult start through injuries and illness
06:07 to be able to actually play.
06:09 I think probably the first three games was a bit of a --
06:12 well, it was an amazing effort because I think he was pretty close to the
06:16 pulling out against Pakistan, fitness test right up to just before the toss.
06:21 So to see him get through that I think has been the starting point.
06:24 But I think his control of his length has been the best that I've seen in
06:29 this period of time, particularly through those three games where he took
06:32 three games with four wickets in a row, and then against England,
06:35 I think his length control.
06:37 I think we all know the skills and the variations,
06:40 but his ability to actually just land the ball on the spot time and time
06:43 again gave most teams limited opportunities to attack him.
06:48 I think England game he didn't go for a boundary,
06:51 might not have gone for anything more than a single against two left-handers,
06:54 against Stokes and Moen, who are very good players to spin.
06:57 I think that's been the testament in that.
06:59 And I think it is all about the length control for him because all the other
07:03 skills are there, but when you combine that with that aspect of the game as
07:06 well, he's almost unplayable.
07:08 And you mentioned before about Sean Abbott and potentially having a chance
07:11 tomorrow.
07:13 Andrew McDonald talks a lot about balance of the attack and not straight
07:17 swaps, but where does Sean fit into that?
07:20 What's his kind of strength if he were to play?
07:24 Well, I think he's covered all bases for Australia in the past.
07:26 I think back to the top end series a little while ago,
07:29 I think he opened the ball and did exceptionally well.
07:32 We know his strengths from big bash, being able to book end in innings,
07:37 back end in innings.
07:39 And I think the role that we've most liked for our fast bowlers is that
07:43 ability to come back through the middle stages and be an attacking option.
07:46 I think if he gets the opportunity, he'll definitely jump into that role.
07:50 So probably outside of the power player and looking to be a wicket-taking
07:54 option for us, because I think we've seen throughout the tournament it's
07:57 very difficult to stop batsmen scoring apart from taking wickets,
08:00 and that's been a real focus for us as a bowling group.
08:04 Hi, Coach.
08:07 Like Bangladesh and Australia played a bilateral one-day series back in 2011.
08:11 After that, they played a World Cup match that got washed out in rain.
08:15 Again, a Champions Trophy two years later, also that got washed out in rain.
08:19 The only match got a result in the last World Cup.
08:22 Do you think these two sides should play more often?
08:26 Because Australia are a very five-time world champions,
08:29 but Bangladesh are a developing side.
08:32 So what's your thought on that?
08:34 I think most teams are grappling with the schedule and how busy it is.
08:39 You think of the Australian team straight off this World Cup,
08:42 they're going to play five T20s against India and then straight into a home
08:45 test summer.
08:47 So I think there's a desire for all teams to have an equal amount of games
08:51 against each other, but the scheduling is so tight that it is hard to factor in.
08:59 So I think there's -- like I said, there is desire for those games to happen,
09:05 but finding time is the most difficult bit.
09:08 We have time for a few more.
09:11 Dan, you played against Australian teams in knockouts before.
09:15 Obviously you're in the Australian camp, you've been there for a while.
09:18 But there's always this talk of like once Australia get into the semifinals,
09:21 beware, they have this aura.
09:23 Obviously you can't quantify aura, but do you read much into it at all,
09:28 like from your experience of playing against them and now being with them?
09:32 Well, I think experience against them, you're always coming up against
09:36 quality players.
09:37 So the fact that you saw those players in front of you,
09:41 there was some trepidation around that and you knew that they had that group
09:45 of match winners that could win the game.
09:47 And I think that's the same here when you look through the team list,
09:51 you see obviously Maxwell from the last innings,
09:54 but everyone of that batting group can step up and take a game away
09:58 and the bowling group is so experienced and so skillful.
10:01 But I think the main factor is just probably the confidence coming in from
10:05 winning six games in a row and hopefully seven games in a row leading into a
10:09 semifinal.
10:10 I think that's the thing that will give the team the most, I suppose,
10:14 comfort around heading into that, particularly against South Africa,
10:17 who outplayed us in the second game of the tournament.
10:20 I think the fact that if we're coming off these seven wins,
10:24 hopefully that'll mitigate that performance in that second game.
10:28 And you just said earlier that you don't speak much to the batters,
10:32 but Marnus definitely speaks a lot to you.
10:34 I still don't speak much.
10:36 I know that's why.
10:38 With Marnus you can't.
10:40 Just his role, Dan, before the World Cup began,
10:44 there was a lot of talk of him and Steve Smith potentially not playing
10:47 together for the make-up of the side.
10:50 But based on how he's gone, do you think he still has a role in there
10:54 or will it come down to him or Marcus Stoinis or any of those combinations?
10:59 I think because of the tournament, whether it's been injuries or illness,
11:07 that we've had to sort of be makeshift the whole way through.
11:11 So the way that Marnus played, and certainly think of the Sri Lankan
11:15 innings where he was able to get us through, I think his style of play.
11:19 And he was coming off the back end of the South African series
11:22 where he was pretty dominant through that.
11:24 So I think we've seen Marnus at his best, how good he can be at one-day cricket,
11:29 but I think that probably applies for all of the eight batters,
11:33 if you look at it like that, including the all-rounders.
11:36 So I think it is going to be a balancing act with the bowling group
11:40 who's available and then the type of wicket as well.
11:43 I think all those things come into play.
11:46 But stylistically I think there's no reason why the two of them
11:50 can't play together.
11:51 I don't think there's anything inhibiting that at all.
11:55 We've got a couple down here, folks.
11:56 We're going to finish up and get the trains.
11:58 So Australia have now played at multiple venues.
12:01 So do you think at any point spinners have been impacted by due to the same
12:05 extent as they sometimes do during the IPL months?
12:09 We're definitely concerned about it in Ahmedabad.
12:12 I think that affected our conversations around the toss because I think two days
12:16 before at training was some of the dampest I've seen.
12:21 So we were concerned, and I think that was part of the reason that England
12:26 bowled first.
12:29 But I think the thing that overrides all that is that first 10 to 15 overs
12:32 with swing bowling and seam bowling has been a huge part of the tournament.
12:37 So teams are geared up towards batting first to try and utilize that period.
12:42 It may be sometimes affecting the spin bowler, but I think if you think back to
12:49 that game, Zampa, 3 for 21, it didn't affect him.
12:52 The umpires are allowing the change of balls.
12:54 So I think there's a lot of things in favor to make you think you can work
12:57 through that due aspect.
12:59 It's not ideal, but I think there's enough there in the first 15 overs for the
13:04 fast bowlers to work through it.
13:07 You have played against Bangladesh a lot, and you work with them as a coach.
13:12 You work closely with the spinners.
13:14 So obviously you have a very good idea about Bangladesh.
13:17 So how much input you are giving, and Bangladesh didn't have a particularly
13:20 good World Cup.
13:22 So how do you see them as an opponent in general?
13:25 I think like most teams, you go through the individuals and you start realizing
13:28 how good they are.
13:30 So when they turn up as a team and you've done your scouting and planning,
13:34 you see them at their absolute best.
13:36 Not having Shaqib here is obviously a big factor, but Meshfique,
13:41 Mamadoula, they're experienced players who have scored a lot of World Cup runs.
13:45 We're expecting both Mahidis to play in this game.
13:49 So Mahidi Hossain is one of my favorite cricketers.
13:51 That's little Mahidi, not big Mahidi.
13:54 I think he's a fantastic bowler.
13:56 Both of them are fantastic bowlers.
13:58 So if they get their opportunity, we understand how good they are
14:02 and how effective they can be, and particularly in a day game where I think
14:06 obviously the toss is not going to be such a big deal.
14:09 The wicket could slow up and we could actually see spin playing more of a part
14:13 in the backing.
14:15 Long tournament, how the batting has come up, and because of IPL-like conditions,
14:21 what has been the challenge for the batters?
14:23 And Max's innings, has it papered over any concerns?
14:27 I think like I've suggested, that period 10 to 15 overs, I mean,
14:32 Naveen was exceptional in the last game for Afghanistan.
14:36 Some swing bowling there that was so impressive.
14:39 So I think as a batting group, you have to be aware of that,
14:43 and it's almost fighting through that first 10 overs because as we saw from Maxwell,
14:47 albeit one of the best things you've seen, you can score at the back end
14:50 of the innings, but that first 10 overs can really put a hole in it.
14:54 And we've seen that as a bowling group, and we've been able to get teams
14:57 in that position.
14:58 I think back to the first game against India when they were three down very early on,
15:02 could have got Coley out, but if you get through that period,
15:05 you can bat and bat for long periods of time.
15:07 So I think that's the messaging to the batting group, that it's going to be tough
15:10 at the start, but if you can get through that period, there are runs available.