DHAKA: Roquibul Hasan, an all-time great Bangladeshi cricketer, has rightly suggested engaging home grown Bangladeshi coach cum cricket development official of Asian Cricket Conference (ACC) Aminul Islam Bulbul for the Bangladesh team.
Many of the contemporary cricketers of Roquibul including one time dependable all-rounder Yusuf Rahman supplemented with suggestions on the role of a cricket coach at this critical stage of Bangladesh cricket.
Being an eye witness and advocate of Bangladesh cricket at its infancy this writer cannot but strongly argue the case of Bulbul being given responsibility.
Aminul affectionately known as Bubul himself as a successful national cricketer who rocked the world scoring a century in the first test that Bangladesh played against India at Bangabandhu National Stadium Dhaka.
He was Bangladesh captain at a time when Bangladesh was ranked underdog at the world stage. He knows very well the psyche of a team in defeats and knows very well how to zee them up for challenges at hand.
As development official of ACC Bulbul has done tremendous works for development of the game in China and other associate member countries .So far my knowledge goes he spent some time in New South Wales, Australia and has taken a coaching diploma in cricket.
A well-spoken gentleman cricketer of amicable behavior can definitely serve Bangladesh team well when the team is looking down the barrel after dismal Asia Cup and World T20.
From my deep interaction with Bangladesh Cricket and Cricketers in nursery time of Bangladesh cricket I can feel what Bangladesh Cricket lacks at this moment.
Bangladesh must not complain about facilities and infrastructures. I do not think other than leading test playing nations any other teams have so many cricket stadium and playing facilities than Bangladesh.
The incentives that Bangladeshi top grade cricketers get is also no less than some test playing countries even .What Bangladeshi cricketers lack is mental toughness and temperament .
They still feel fish out of water in competition against stronger opposition and for lack of temperament make silly mistakes repeatedly. More than a decade of Bangladesh cricket as a full member of ICC brought few admirable victories in ODIs but in test cricket and T20 Bangladesh performance still not what it should be.
Bangladesh tried with high profile Coaches in the past starting with Celebrated Caribbean Great Gordon Greenidge, successful Australian coach Dave Wahtmore, Famous Indian Cricketer Mahindra Amaranth. But none could provide stability in the team for reasons which more or less everyone knows.
Our Cricket think tank hardly gives the essential freedom to a coach to function independently and always want instant success. Foreign coaches with their grooming in altogether different environment tried their level best within a narrow space and achieved limited success.
Bubul being home grown has firsthand feelings of all ifs and buts and limitations under which a coach of Bangladesh team operates. Bangladeshi National cricketers in the past mostly were coming from higher academic institutions. Now the situation has dramatically changed.
Apart from a handful players in the national side few have higher education (not essential though). It becomes very difficult for the foreign coaches to communicate with the players and players often hesitate to talk their minds out.
Bulubul will definitely have great advantage here. Him being idol of many Bangladeshi cricketer of the present will easily interact with every player sharing with them their strength and weaknesses. He can be the ideal support for the team in the dressing room at thick and thin.
The exposure to Australian Cricket environment will give Bulbul added advantage in creating mental toughness among the players. Win or lose Australian cricketers play tough cricket, mental game.
I am sure Bulbul can inculcate that among down and out Bangladeshi Cricketers at the moment. Many of the present day BCB officails either played under his leadership or with him. This will make situation ideal for him and enable him plan and execute his strategy well.
Bubul’s experience of cricket development in ACC member countries will be invaluable for Bangladesh for utilizing his talent now when Bangladesh performance has reached the bottom of the ICC ranking.
For turning around we have to fall back to basics and that can start with home grown boy Bulbul as the head coach.
I will suggest Wasim Akram and Zahangir Shah Badsha to assist Bubul as bowling coach and Khaled Masud Pilot as fielding coach .Bulbul should be engaged as soon as possible with a given TOR and required freedom.
BDST: 1826 HRS, APR 21, 2014
