Sabbir Hossain :
Hosts Bangladesh national cricket team produced a dismal performance in the ICC World Twenty20 Cricket, which has already reached the semifinal stage.
Before taking part in this competition, Bangladesh cut a very sorry figure in the Asia Cup, losing all the four matches in the round robin league. Yet, the nation expected better cricket from them but witnessed identical sad performance of four defeats in four matches at group stage.
Even at the qualifying round, Bangladesh lost to lowly rated Hong Kong though finished atop in the group and sailed to the next round of super 10.
In the Super Ten of the ICC World Twenty20 Cricket, Bangladesh lost to West Indies by 73 runs, to India by eight wickets, to Pakistan by 50 runs and to Australia by seven wickets.
In the backdrop of such a disastrous performance in the Asian Cup and the ICC World Twenty20 Cricket, some former cricketers of Bangladesh National Cricket team and a former coach have given their reactions to this reporter.
Former coach of Bangladesh team Jalal Ahmed Chowdhury said, “Players of Bangladesh do not hold strong mentality of playing good cricket. Partnership is the foundation to secure a win in the shorter version cricket, but the players failed to build it.” He said, “Most of the foreign teams have a good number of cricketers. Some of them can change the course of the match. Those players have capability to achieve victory from the brink of defeat with their good performance. The players of Bangladesh do not have such quality. There are no teamwork, game planning and creativity. The cricket board should pay attention to make the domestic cricket regular and strong.”
Veteran sports journalist Md Quamruzzaman said, “The team is beset with problems. As there is no spirit of teamwork, the players could not perform as per expectation. Most of them lack professionalism though professional approach is very important for victory. That is why, the hosts conceded defeat to Hong Kong, where cricket is still an amateur game.
On the other hand, cricket is played in Bangladesh through out the year. It might be there is a problem in the team management.”
Former national team captain Faruque Ahmed said, “Our team has no big hitter, who can transform defeat into victory by his solo effort. Cricket is both team and individual game.”
Former captain of Indian national cricket team, Sourav Ganguly, now in Bangladesh, said, “The performance is downgrading. It is the wrong conception that Bangladesh team lacks experience. In fact Bangladesh have been playing Twenty20 Cricket from the day it was introduced. It is time to arrest the continuing dismal performance.”
Former player of Bangladesh team Ishtiaq Ahmed said, “The players of Bangladesh team lack team spirit. Their body language is not positive. Their confidence level is very low. All the departments of cricket must be given due attention. If the players regain their confidence, they can show positive approach.”
Noted sports commentator Chowdhury Jafarullah Sharafat said, “The players have not got ability to play matches after matches continuously. There is absence of stamina in the Bangladesh team. BCB should appoint a trainer to uplift the stamina of the players of Bangladesh team.”
Sports critic Ameer Hamzah said, “Vanity, empty words, short of conviction to win, want of mental and physical fitness, absence of concentration of mind on the pitch and infiltration of politics in sports are the main reasons of the Bangladesh team’s miserable performance in the both Asian Cup and the World Twenty20 Cricket 2014.”
He said, “The players should have their mentality, mental and physical fitness, and concentration of mind on the pitch to win a match. There must be a partnership and at least a batsman, who can guard against quick fall of wickets at one end of the pitch. Unless all the players want to win and unless they play their best, positive result is a dream.”
