After passing through a very frustrating several months of deteriorating below par performance in 2014 in World Cricket Bangladesh cricket team has started presenting some rare moments of joy and merriment to its thirsty adoring fans.
First, at Bangladesh home of cricket at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium (a hard earned win) and then a massive victory at Sheikh Naser Stadium Khulna against Zimbabwe have started rebuilding Bangladesh morale.
Our brilliant Shakib Al Hasan has rocked the World Cricket. His excellent all round performance has inscribed his name alongside the selected cricket celebrities Sir Ian Botham and Imran Khan.
Our little bird Mominul Haque has started weaving his nest among the greats like Sunil Gavaskar.
New heroes like Taijul and Jubair have started emerging. Has the tide started turning? What would needs to turn around? Nothing to be complacent yet?
But we know earning one two successes here and there are all right. But sustaining successes over longer duration and building on it requires continued passion, great commitment, proper planning and appropriate execution management.
Bangladesh completed fourteenth year in its not too auspicious stay in the top league of world cricket. We cannot say it impressive or even comfortable stay with 6 wins, 11 draws in 87 tests over this period.
We cannot even say Bangladesh played enough or not given opportunity to play regularly against major opposition over this period if we compare with tests played by India, Sri Lanka or even Pakistan over this period.
Some critics we argue that Bangladesh performance in test cricket was not convincing enough to motivate major teams like India or Australia for inviting them for bilateral series in their countries. Ironically the first opponent of Bangladesh India in long fourteen years failed to invite Bangladesh for even a single series in their country although Bangladesh beat India in World Cup and Asia Cup and Indian team visited Bangladesh on few occasions.
Australia hosted Bangladesh only once and that series also featured two tests in Darwin and Cairns. Bangladesh is yet to play in major venues MCG, SCG, WACA, and Adelaide Oval. It will have first opportunity to play in major Australian venue during the ensuing ICC World Cup Cricket. However Bangladesh has played in New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa and England. But in announced future ITPs there is not much overseas tests trip for Bangladesh.
What will be the response of Bangladesh if asked what Bangladesh did over the last fourteen years to develop skills and quality of its cricketers to prove competitive in World Cricket? The occasional ODI wins in home conditions and continued unimpressive performance at test cricket could not convince our major ICC full members to host Bangladesh as these days test cricket is losing attraction and often fail to draw spectators. The only opponent which other than Zimbabwe is interest to host Bangladesh is Pakistan which is not considered safe to play international cricket yet. For the next couple of years home series may be the main options for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has just won two tests in succession against its bitterest competitor Zimbabwe in the ongoing test series. The emphatic performance of star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (entering the record book alongside of few great cricketers with enviable milestones) leading to these wins has elevated Bangladesh from the bottom of ICC test ranking to 9Th position.
If Bangladesh can maintain their tempo and win at the third test at Chittagong also that will earn them a 3-0 series white wash and will widen the difference with Zimbabwe in the ranking. Bangladesh must target 6-8 th position by end 2017 to avoid playing continental cup with ICC associates for ICC World Cup 2019 in own backyard.
Can we say the tide has started turning in Bangladesh favor? Can we say our cricketers and cricket has started finding the right groove? With very weak and fragile domestic structure of cricket it is very difficult to become optimistic. Everyone talks about it , many make great suggestions but implementation initiatives and planning are not there.
This write up will address how Bangladesh Cricket can make and implement mid to long term plans for sustainable development of cricket which will create mechanism for discovering fresh talents and nourish them in enabling environment for taking Bangladesh cricket to greater heights and sustain there over longer term.
Truly Representative BCB
Bangladesh Cricket Control Board needs to be truly representative formed of genuine cricket personalities (not necessarily International cricketers of the past) of known organizational and managerial capabilities. When we were in our childhood we were attracted by a slogan of Pakistan “Sports times”.
“Keep Cricket cleans of politics”. We are not very sure BCB is clean of politics. As such many committed cricket personalities, dedicated cricket organizers have turned away or are not being utilized. Bangladesh at this critical stage of its cricket endeavor requires a free fair and elected BCB Executive committee of dedicated members of cricket community. The sooner the government realize this the better. We hope for the greater interest of Bangladesh Cricket BCB will approach senior cricket personalities and take their suggestions as how to move forward making very proactive cricket development plans from grass root.
Soul Searching
Whatever planning is done or efforts are made to implement, it will be the players who have to deliver? Attitude, commitment, endurance capabilities, patience are key for sustaining successes at international level. How motivated are the players? How committed are they to take skill levels higher to match stronger oppositions in overseas? Are there the required systems in place?
International cricket is not only playing on low slow turning wickets against opposition not much known for their proven skills of playing spin bowling . Bangladesh for sustainable success has to adjust in different playing conditions and sporting wickets. Where are our players to confront tear away fast bowlers like Dayle Steyn or Mitchel Johnson on pacey and bouncy wickets? Where are our new bowlers to take wickets of major opposition on different wickets? Have our players developed mental toughness yet to endure the rigors of test cricket over five days and reverse the tide of the matches regularly?
One cannot expect all these coming automatically to any team anywhere?
Improve Domestic Format
Many of us say we have to improve domestic format. How to do that? What are the domestic cricket formats in Sri Lanka and Australia? Are we in a position to replicate these? How many good cricket playing surfaces (good sporting wickets with proper out field) we have? Is quality cricket played at competitive level at all greater district level? We know some districts like Chittagong, Mymensingh, Faridpur, Comilla, Pabna, Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dinajpoor, Khuna, Jessore, Sylhet used to have good local leagues and tournaments. Cricket is still being played under personal initiatives there.
But absence of proper format is not creating opportunities for talent spotting and development. Why not BCB planning and development initiatives work with district administration in regenerating leagues in all districts? Let us start with greater districts first and then it can spread gradually. BCB working District administration can arrange to set up few sporting wickets at some district stadiums, arrange training through refreshers courses for umpires and send match officials (national cricketers of yester years) to assist in running of the district leagues . Well these can be 50 over matches till the final stage and later top four teams can play two day matches.
Remember proper wicket, good umpiring are must and these must be monitored by BCB through a scout team of ex cricketers. Only those districts competing league properly can be allowed to play in national cricket championship. If some incentives can be created in such district league cricket it will do a lot in diverting youth from drugs and other unsocial vices. We hope our Deputy Commissioners and public servants along with genuine cricket enthusiasts in districts can act as catalysts for these.
Need Proper Format for School Cricket
Bangladesh does not have any lack of enthusiasm. Cricket is now the most popular game in Bangladesh .Youngsters Cricket is now played with passion at every nook and corner of the country. Only the structure is missing to draw upon raw talents from grass root unlike done in Sri Lanka, Australia and other countries.
We need to catch them raw the cricket buds and give them environment to bloom. The required infrastructure of proper school cricket and age level cricket is missing. In not too distant past Nirman School cricket was making significant contributions But unfortunately that could be sustained. School cricket must be made the eternal source for hunting talented cricketers at their teens. Check how Sachin Tendulkar, Kumara Sangrakara and Mahela were spotted from their school days. Many schools in Bangladesh produced several great cricketers and other sportsmen in the past. Given a good format and some incentives there is no reason why they cannot. BCB may work with Ministry of Education and Ministry of sports for reviving school cricket. We do not think if BCB approach with a plan there should be any problem with sponsors. Major International Companies or local corporate houses as their Corporate Social Responsibility can do this.
Talent Hunting and Cricket Academy
We find media and sponsors carry on talent hunting for singers and other area of culture. In the past there was talent hunting in cricket also. Why not BCB plan talent hunting for pace bowlers, spinners, wicket keepers, opening batsmen? Our talented past cricketers are very active in cricket talks. We can set up various specialist committees with Ex-Players and coaches having past proven track records. Under sponsorship of corporate houses these teams can go to different districts arrange short term clinics and hunt talents. We are aware that BKSP has a system in place. But we need more. If we really want to sustain success in cricket we have to set up Cricket academy, hunt talents from all over the country and arrange long term training, coaching and mentoring.
Utilize Home Grown Coaches
In almost one and half decade of international engagement Bangladesh has utilized the services of several international coaches starting from great West Indian Gordon Greenidge , South African Eddie Barlow , Mohinder Amarnath , Dave Whatmore and others . Each made some contributions. We must realize in 1970s and 1980s most of the leading Bangladesh Cricketers were mostly from University Backgrounds .It was easier to adapt to cricket culture and ethics. Bangladesh team for ICC Associate Members Competition in England was tagged as sophisticated cricketers from Bangladesh for their great mannerism apart from Cricket. Now players come from all cross sections of society.
It is not easy for any foreign coach who has little idea about Bangladesh Culture to induce cricket manners, ethics and attitude. Moreover, media through generous publicity of upcoming players cricket ego issues of some players. Only our home grown qualified coaches can deal with this problem more effectively. We have seen how a rare talent Mohammad Ashraful suffered failing to conduct himself? How Sakib could not deal with his reputation properly. We hope BCB will recognize the utility of home grown qualified coaches at various level of cricket development. If someone is found with required qualification and proven international experience BCB must engage him head coach of National Cricket Academy , Development squad oreven for National team.
Perspective Plan
Bangladesh must set a primary target for reaching anywhere from 6-8 in ICC ranking by mid 2017. For that they have to consolidate the just achieved position of 9 and work seriously to attain higher position. West Indies is in the next position to challenge. We have unfortunately lost a huge opportunity of not proving competitive in the last series in the Caribbean. We hope BCB has made post series analysis what went wrong and where to improve.
After this Zimbabwe series Bangladesh will appear in Australia New Zealand for ICC World Cup. Most of the other teams including India, South Africa, and England will have better preparations in Australia New Zealand along with the hosts. Even minnows like Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and UAE had some exposures. Playing in Australia New Zealand is altogether a different kettle of fish than playing on slow low Bangladesh wicket.
We hope Bangladesh can travel couple of weeks earlier to down under to get a bit acclimatized to wickets and condition. We must not set our goal very high for world cup. But we have no reasons to worry much as well .Even teams like India and Pakistan struggle in Australian New Zealand Conditions.
In 2015 Australia, South Africa may visit Bangladesh .Let us make a plan to be competitive against them. If we can win even a test each against them that will add to our credential and standing .For the time being let us try and achieve series white wash against Zimbabwe and then move on.
BDST: 0902 HRS, NOV 11, 2014
