Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
This one could have been a very long article. In fact, the length of time it would take you to read absolutely everything I want to say could be longer than the length of a Bangladesh Test innings.
But I won’t do that to you.
In this cricket opinion piece, I will highlight five key things Bangladesh Cricket needs to do to ensure they improve and have a strong future.
Background
As I’ve mentioned a few times in previous articles, I’ve been a big follower of Bangladesh cricket for 12 years. There have been some disappointing periods throughout those years, but the state Bangladesh currently find themselves in is arguably the worst.
Their abomination in the recent first Test against West Indies was a real worrying sign. This isn’t a one-off incident, but rather, a picture of how disappointing 2018 has been for the Tigers. With all due respect to Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and West Indies, these are teams you should not be beaten or struggling badly against, especially when there has been talk over the last few years of Bangladesh’s significant improvement.
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| 2018 has been a shocker for Bangladesh |
So, what are the biggest issues in Bangladesh Cricket right now, and how could they be sorted effectively? (Yes, deep down I hope this reaches someone in close contact to those associated with Bangladesh Cricket).
1. Managing emotions appropriately
To go forward, you need to be grounded in the good times and persistent in the bad.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating a victory, but you need to a good winner. The nagin dance? I don’t like it. Focus on the next step. Celebrating before the winning runs are hit? Again, wrong approach.
Something Bangladesh need to work on.
2. Proper domestic focus
I don’t think there is enough done in properly preparing players from their young days to be truly equipped to handle international cricket, over the long term.
Sure, Bangladesh have produced some good batsmen like Shakib, Tamim, Mominul and Mushfiqur over the last decade, but that’s going to be a given with pitches either very flat or suited to spin bowling. They have all done well at home.
But, which fast bowlers are going to hold Bangladesh in good stead in the next five to ten years? Is enough being done to encourage young kids to pick up a cricket ball and bowl fast? It’s pretty back-breaking stuff at the moment. It’s got to a point where Bangladesh continue to pick Rubel Hossain, who averages 80 in 26 Tests.
I know I wouldn’t want to bowl fast in those conditions. I would want to pick up a bat or bowl spin.
Also, that’s not where the buck ends. It is no surprise that away from Asian conditions, Bangladesh crumble badly. Last year’s South Africa tour was disappointing, and it looks like nothing has been learnt currently in West Indies. Management needs to implement a focus on producing pitches that encourage fast bowling and equip batsmen in playing this bowling type on helpful pitches.
Otherwise, the same cycle will continue.
Nurture talents a lot better than the present
What’s with cricketers starting well in international cricket then fading out?
Yes, in the age of video and strategy, players can get found out, but coaches and management need to nurture these players a lot better than they are now. Over the years, far too many players have faded away after making such promising starts, and this is a concern.
Currently, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed are two at risk of this happening to them. These were two bowlers that three years ago were rightly touted as the future leaders and stalwarts of Bangladesh’s bowling attack. Instead, they have gone backwards, which is just so disappointing. Mustafizur’s development should not have been about bowling more cutters. It should have been developing an in-swinger to the right hander. Taskin needs to be nurtured, not constantly dropped, to ensure his confidence stays high.
For now, I want to question why so many players have seemingly fallen off the face of the earth after showing promising signs. What’s happened to Mohammad Shahid, who bowled eight maidens in a row to build pressure on South Africa on Mustafizur’s debut? What about Robiul Islam? Legspinner Jubair Hossain? What about Marshall Ayub, a player who is touted as a patient batsman? Why haven’t the likes of Nasir Nossain and Sabbir Rahman done proper justice to their talent?
Getting to the international stage is one thing. Staying there is another.
4. Strategy
Nothing grinds my gear like a Test team pushing fielders to the boundary in a Test, earlier than necessary. Bangladesh need to realise that building pressure is vital in Test cricket, and that means stopping singles. Have a bowler bowl to one batsman and build pressure on him. If a four gets hit, that’s fine. Set the batsman up.
Unfortunately, it happens too rarely.
This was the basis of my rant last year that Mushfiqur Rahim should be removed as captain. He was too defensive as a skipper. However, this is also reflective of team management. Bowling first in South Africa last year and then employing a spinner within the first six overs of the Test and spreading the field out is not proactive cricket.
To improve from the position they are in, the Tigers must devise better cricketing plans and strategies, and have a hunger to continue to score runs, field well and take wickets.
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| Mushfiqur was a very defensive Test captain |
5. Post-Shakib plan
There is no post-Shakib plan.
He is one of my favourite ever cricketers, but he will retire someday. What will Bangladesh do?
Well, I put my two cents worth earlier this year. If they continue to stroll along without any planning, Bangladesh will actually fall further into the mire, just a couple of years after everything looked so rosy.
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So, Bangladesh are in the doldrums, and the first Test in Antigua surely had to be a massive wake up call to the BCB. Getting bowled out for 43 and continuing to be inconsistent is an injustice to their talent and the passion of the fans.
Now is the time to start getting things right.
