For consistent performance of Bangladesh cricket team
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Mohammad Ataul Hoque
The Zimbabwe team has brought Bangladesh cricket team back to earth from the euphoria created by victories over a senior international team in the recent past by defeating them in the first One-Day International (ODI). As everybody expected, our selectors asked for this bashing once the list of players was announced by them which was an atrocious selection. With the World Cup breathing on the neck, our selectors preferred to experiment with the team despite having a winning combination by inducting two out-of-form players in Mashrafee and Ashraful for the reasons best known to them. Mashrafee since his injury in West Indies had no international match experience and his form was never tested before inducting in the national team direct.
He even did not participate in the domestic cricket. Only being captain in the past does not automatically qualify him for selection. It does not happen anywhere in the world. Selection should be based on consistent current performance which was absent in his case. Therefore, being out of form, he could not perform either with ball or with bat in both of the matches and gave away too many runs per over. Next, the less we talk about Ashraful the better. He is looked upon by our chief selector as his blue-eyed boy. It is reported in the media, the chief selector wanted to give him chance in three matches with Zimbabwe to make him fit for the World Cup.
Why is this generosity? This player is out of form since a long time and his recent past average ranges about ten runs only which certainly does not qualify him for the selection. He was flown to London as replacement in the last series with England but flopped miserably. Only recently in the Asian Games against the low ranking teams such as China, Malaysia or even Afghanistan his batting was very very poor, not even worth mentioning. It appears he has influential sympathisers in the Board who place their personal interest over the national interest.
There should not be any automatic choice as quoted by one biased selector. Whereas consistent performers like Nafis, Nayeem, Raquibul, Zahurul, Rubel et cetera have been vying for the selection justifiably, the national selectors presented the country with a biased selection which resulted in the defeat. This is the perfect time to select the World Cup team so that the players can concentrate on their training without any fear of being axed and uncertainty. In all fairness Nafis should come in place of Kayes, Rubel in place of Mashrafee and Zahurul may be tried in one or two games in place of Rahim who appears not in form these days both in batting and keeping.
Sakib should be handed over the captaincy permanently and immediately who has always led the team from the front with his all-round performance. Instead of a caretaker captain a permanent captain would be in a much better position to plan and formulate his strategies in consultation with the coach for the matches. A captain needs to perform which acts as the inspiration for others. The team selection must be made as in other countries with consultation and agreement of the coach and the captain. Bangladesh team needs powerful batters for the power play in the slog overs which is very much absent now. Sakib has rightly said the present team was not his choice. This is regrettable and must not be repeated if we are to perform better in the World Cup.
(E-mail: mahoque07@gmail.com)
The Zimbabwe team has brought Bangladesh cricket team back to earth from the euphoria created by victories over a senior international team in the recent past by defeating them in the first One-Day International (ODI). As everybody expected, our selectors asked for this bashing once the list of players was announced by them which was an atrocious selection. With the World Cup breathing on the neck, our selectors preferred to experiment with the team despite having a winning combination by inducting two out-of-form players in Mashrafee and Ashraful for the reasons best known to them. Mashrafee since his injury in West Indies had no international match experience and his form was never tested before inducting in the national team direct.
He even did not participate in the domestic cricket. Only being captain in the past does not automatically qualify him for selection. It does not happen anywhere in the world. Selection should be based on consistent current performance which was absent in his case. Therefore, being out of form, he could not perform either with ball or with bat in both of the matches and gave away too many runs per over. Next, the less we talk about Ashraful the better. He is looked upon by our chief selector as his blue-eyed boy. It is reported in the media, the chief selector wanted to give him chance in three matches with Zimbabwe to make him fit for the World Cup.
Why is this generosity? This player is out of form since a long time and his recent past average ranges about ten runs only which certainly does not qualify him for the selection. He was flown to London as replacement in the last series with England but flopped miserably. Only recently in the Asian Games against the low ranking teams such as China, Malaysia or even Afghanistan his batting was very very poor, not even worth mentioning. It appears he has influential sympathisers in the Board who place their personal interest over the national interest.
There should not be any automatic choice as quoted by one biased selector. Whereas consistent performers like Nafis, Nayeem, Raquibul, Zahurul, Rubel et cetera have been vying for the selection justifiably, the national selectors presented the country with a biased selection which resulted in the defeat. This is the perfect time to select the World Cup team so that the players can concentrate on their training without any fear of being axed and uncertainty. In all fairness Nafis should come in place of Kayes, Rubel in place of Mashrafee and Zahurul may be tried in one or two games in place of Rahim who appears not in form these days both in batting and keeping.
Sakib should be handed over the captaincy permanently and immediately who has always led the team from the front with his all-round performance. Instead of a caretaker captain a permanent captain would be in a much better position to plan and formulate his strategies in consultation with the coach for the matches. A captain needs to perform which acts as the inspiration for others. The team selection must be made as in other countries with consultation and agreement of the coach and the captain. Bangladesh team needs powerful batters for the power play in the slog overs which is very much absent now. Sakib has rightly said the present team was not his choice. This is regrettable and must not be repeated if we are to perform better in the World Cup.
(E-mail: mahoque07@gmail.com)