Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus has urged his side to work on their dot-ball percentage and strike rates as they prepare to take on Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series, starting in Sharjah on October 27. Afghanistan were swept aside by India in their last T20I series, with their batting unit falling short of expectations. Over the past year, Afghanistan have recorded a dot-ball percentage of 43 in T20Is, while their strike rate during the same period stands at 136.4. “In terms of the development of the T20 side I think we know that we’ve got power hitters and we know that we’ve got a group of really high-quality all-rounders. I think we’ve got to develop our batting and the nuance of our batting so that we can just keep the volume of runs flowing,” Pybus told Cricbuzz ahead of the T20Is against Zimbabwe. “We need to look at our dot ball average and we’ve got to look at strike rates,” he said, adding that the series against India, despite the defeats, had helped him identify areas that needed attention. “For us as a side which is still in its developmental process as a team it (playing against India) has been an opportunity for me to be able to benchmark where we are against a side which is across formats if it’s not number one it’s one of the top sides in the world. “With that benchmarking it’s just being able to see what our strengths and weaknesses are and I think for me as a coach it couldn’t have been a better gift,” he said. “It really isn’t nice getting beaten that’s for sure but if you’re going to have an opportunity to be able to benchmark where your side is at against the world champions with them playing at home it was really a fantastic opportunity.” While Rahmat Shah, Afghanistan’s new Test and ODI captain, impressed with his form, the same could not be said of Ibrahim Zadran, who was entrusted with leading the T20I side. Pybus, however, said he was impressed with the way Ibrahim handled the responsibility in India and was not concerned about the opener’s returns with the bat after taking over the captaincy. “We have a new captain Ibrahim and it was, dare I say it, a baptism of fire, you know, to go to India, play in Delhi in front of a packed house, and on a small ground on a perfect batting surface against the world champions,” said Pybus. “It doesn’t get any tougher than that and I have to acknowledge that he managed the side well and stayed cool under pressure. “And I think there’s always a transition when you are moving from being a player to a captain. But I thought he managed that well. I know that he spent time as vice-captain to Rashid and so he’s not absolutely brand new to it but it is obviously a shift for him and I think he acquitted himself well,” he said. “It was interesting during the series watching him take ownership of the side and I think the more time that he has with the T20 side and the more cricket that we can give him I think he is really going to accelerate. “You know, he’s a calm individual and he leads by presence and by the authority of his own performance. And obviously, across all three formats, he’s one of our best performers. And I think he’s not only respected for that, but also by the way that he carries himself and the authority that goes with that,” he added. There had been speculation that Rashid Khan was unhappy after being removed as T20I captain, but Pybus dismissed those suggestions, praising the veteran leg-spinner’s support for his successor. “Rashid was fantastic in the dressing room while Ibrahim has got a close relationship with Rashid and he gave him his full support, both in terms of his strategic input and you know with his game awareness,” said Pybus. “You know, Rashid is the model professional and I can’t think of a better individual to have when you are coming into your captaincy than somebody like Rashid who shares openly and doesn’t hold anything back,” he concluded.
