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Paul McNamara

Mamatha Maben has given her Hong Kong players a lengthy to-do list after their drawn four-match T20I series in Malaysia last week.
On her first assignment as head coach of the city women’s team, Maben was encouraged by how her new charges “fought and came back harder” after losing the first and third matches to finish level at 2-2.
But Maben, a former India all-rounder, said that there remained “quite a bit of work to do”, and that the team needed to adopt a more professional mindset as she identified four key work-ons for her charges.
“Our fitness and fielding are high-priority areas, and we need to improve our power hitting and bowling discipline,” Maben said.

Hong Kong shipped 22 extras in a thumping 50-run defeat in their opening match. The team improved in the closing two games, reducing sundries to 10 and 11.
“I wasn’t expecting an overnight miracle but I asked them after the first day to reduce the extras by 50 per cent,” Maben said. “It’s a skill issue, so I won’t go hard on them, and there was no chance to practise, so it’s a good sign they were able to halve that figure.”
After scratching around for a total of 89 for five in the first game, Hong Kong subsequently posted 110 for three, 107 for seven and 104 for four.
“We’re a 110 team on our best days, and a 90 team on lower-end days,” Maben said.
“To compete against higher-ranked teams, we need to be able to easily get 130 on any day. We’re capable of rotating the strike but we have to work on being able to punch blows in between.”
Kary Chan Ka-ying, a key figure with bat and ball since her debut nearly seven years ago, was player of the series after claiming five wickets and contributing 77 runs.
Maben said that although Chan was a “vital cog” in the team, she would be encouraging the 28-year-old to “be more professional with her approach, so she can deliver more often than not”.
“She won us the second game, but in the next game played a loose shot [to be dismissed for 0],” Maben said.
“I want players to have the hunger to build on performances and take them two levels higher.”
Maben said she would introduce “more informed and structured training, so players are not just training for the sake of it”.
“I don’t want to sugarcoat anything, there’s a lot of work to do with everybody,” Maben said.












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“I know I’m dealing with an amateur side, but women’s cricket is moving on in leaps and bounds, and if we’re going to catch up we need a professional mindset in terms of work ethic.”
The next challenge for Hong Kong is expected to be the ACC Premier Cup, provisionally scheduled for February, where qualification for next year’s Asian Cup will be up for grabs.
“The initial vibe I have from the players is that they are keen to improve, and we have ability,” Maben said. “If we had a top fielding side, we could have won every game in Malaysia.”
Natasha Miles, who replaced Chan as skipper last year, will stay in the role.
“She’s a good captain,” Maben said. “She’s on a learning curve, the relationship between us is good. We’ve started on the right note but it’s a long journey.”


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Sport

Cricket

New coach Mamatha Maben encouraged by resilience in series with Malaysia, but former India all-rounder calls for ‘more professional mindset’


New coach Mamatha Maben encouraged by resilience in series with Malaysia, but former India all-rounder calls for ‘more professional mindset’.


Women's cricket

4 tasks for Hong Kong women’s cricketers as coach tells them to get serious

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}New coach Mamatha Maben encouraged by resilience in series with Malaysia, but former India all-rounder calls for ‘more professional mindset’

New coach Mamatha Maben encouraged by resilience in series with Malaysia, but former India all-rounder calls for ‘more professional mindset’