A major change in the country’s cricket scene was recently brought about by the BCB audacious announcement of its most recent central contract.
With a new group of senior cricket players, how will the Bangladeshi national side look as they set off on a new adventure?
The renowned “Fab Five”—Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza—have not been ranked in the top category for the first time.
It was inevitable that the basic contract would change. As the lads in red and green get ready to play Zimbabwe in the forthcoming two-match Test series, it’s a new day for them.
The remaining four members of the Fabulous Five are unlikely to make a comeback to the team in any capacity very soon, so there won’t be much buzz about them even though Mushfiqur Rahim is probably going to be in the series.
Confusion has previously resulted from Bangladesh’s team management’s frequent displays of a particular mindset when dealing with senior cricket players.
In contrast to previous times, the BCB recently met with Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim to discuss their strategy, which ultimately led to their decision to withdraw from ODI cricket.
There have also been times when the selection panel has come under fire, particularly when the previous team administration appeared to favour dropping a veteran cricket player completely over keeping him in the squad but not in the starting lineup.
But according to Najmul Hossain, who captained the Test and ODI teams till the Champions Trophy, effective communication helps fix these kinds of problems.
“This should not be the case and I have never faced such a problem and never thought about it that way (that we cannot pick a senior because we cannot drop him if he does not make a place due to combination),” Najmul stated to Cricbuzz recently.
“I think if we can communicate regarding roles of different cricketers, whether he is a senior player or junior player, like this is the plan and that is the reason you are playing or you are not playing, that is enough,” he stated.
“The thing is, as a captain and the selectors who will be in charge, if they can give a clear message to the player that he is not playing because of this reason, in that case there won’t be any miscommunication, if there is at all,” he stated.
“As a professional cricket player, it’s acceptable for any senior player to sit out if necessary. Since we are all professional cricket players and are aware of the team’s needs, I don’t think the senior cricket player will be upset, irritated, or act foolishly. He stated, “It would be preferable if this practice—not selecting a senior because we cannot drop him—were eliminated.
“Look, this is a team game, not an individual one, and I believe the best combination should be used. Seniors who have played for a long time deserve respect, and that can be achieved effectively when we talk to them and let them know that this is our plan and that we are thinking along these lines,” he clarified.
Therefore, I doubt that any cricket player in Bangladesh would be upset about it (assuming he is given an explanation for his exclusion from the combination). “I always thought there was a communication gap between us,” he said.
Shakib Al Hasan, the star all-rounder for Bangladesh, recently told Cricbuzz that he would have been more satisfied if there had been better communication before to the Champions Trophy.
Taskin Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan, Najmul Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, and Taijul Islam are among the cricket players that will be replacing the old seniors. How the board handles them in the future is still up in the air.
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