'I am happy with Afif, he is a quality batter'

Bangladesh assistant coach Nic Pothas has backed Afif Hossain to come good with the bat despite a run of poor form for Bangladesh.

Although he explained that Afif's selection is down to the selectors, Pothas feels he's a quality player,

"It is a question for selectors. Not for me. Afif has played two games. If we are going to chop and change all the time, players will feel under pressure. You have to show faith in players. The No 7 spot is going to be hugely dependent on the balance of the team against different oppositions. It is a game-by-game thing. The question is for the selectors. No batter would be happy with the recent displays. I am happy with Afif as he is a quality batter," Pothas told the media on Monday.

Although Afif has been in top form with the bat in domestic cricket, Pothas was quick to mention that the gap between domestic and international cricket is huge and it takes time for the players to adjust.

"County and state cricket are probably the closest to international cricket. Still, there is a big jump. When you come up to international cricket, the execution jumps. International bowlers are going to find your chink in the armour. These things take time. If I took a fish out of the sea, it will eventually learn to walk. It will adapt. Makhaya Ntini wasn't very good when he started, but if you leave it at that level for a period of time, he will adapt because he has a ceiling. These guys have very high ceilings. That's why we show faith in them," he concluded.