Marsh, Mohsin comfortable with ODI rule changes

DUBAI: Rival coaches Geoff Marsh and Mohsin Khan said they were comfortable with the change in rules as Pakistan and Sri Lanka play under them for the first time in the opening day-night match here on Friday.

Teams will have to start the batting and bowling Powerplays at the beginning of any over between the 16th and the 36th over for a full game while two new balls - one from either end - will be used during an innings.

Marsh said his players have talked about these changes which came into effect from October 1.

“We had a good chat about the powerplay and it comes down to waiting and seeing the game. It would be interesting, a lot of cricket is there after the 40th over so we need to bat normally and don’t lose too many wickets,” he said on Wednesday.

Marsh, a former Australian opener who also coached Australia to 1999 World Cup victory besides having a stint with Zimbabwe, took charge of the Sri Lankan team in September.

He said bowlers should not think about two balls at each end and bowl normally.

“Two balls were used the last time when I was playing,” said Marsh of the experiment done during the 1992 World Cup held in Australia.

“We have to see, basically we don’t want to read too much into it, if you think you start to be negative.”

Marsh hoped his team carried the confidence of the last Test in Sharjah where Sri Lanka fared well before rain spoilt their chances of victory. Pakistan salvaged a draw to take the three-Test series 1-0. “Obviously one-dayers is a different form but we are happy the way we ended the last game and had there been no rain we had a good chance of winning,” said Marsh. “We have a good balance in one-day and we know that Pakistan is also a very good team. When they play well they play really well,” said Marsh.

Pakistan’s interim coach Mohsin Khan said his players were comfortable with the rule change.

“They will give more balance to the one-day matches,” said Mohsin, also chairman of selectors who took over as coach after Waqar Younis quit due to health problems.

The former opener added: “We know we are up against a very good team.

“We have played well against them and know that we have to be at our best to beat them again.”

The remaining matches will be played in Dubai (November 14 and 18), Sharjah (November 20) and Abu Dhabi (November 23). Both the teams will also play a Twenty20 in Abu Dhabi on November 25.