‘He will never sacrifice a bit of cricket’

There's no point in head scratching or pondering on ways to turn back time, it's done. Bangladesh have exited the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and boarded their flight back home from England yesterday. However, on their way back, there still may be a few things lingering at the back of their minds. Perhaps such thoughts could lead to imaginary scenarios where the 'what ifs' make the difference between what was and what could have been. Just what if…

Mushy had been a little patient

What are the must-do things while defending a below-par 244, that too against a compact New Zealand side at the biggest stage -- a World Cup game? Well, the message from the pavilion would have been to grab every chance you get. If not literally, grabbing opportunities on the ground become easier when you are wearing a pair of gloves. Creating an opportunity, even a tiny error of judgement from the opposition is induced by a series of small endeavours while in pursuit of your aim. But when the moment comes, you need to wait and make the right call and time it to perfection. Maybe Mushfiqur Rahim -- the man with the gloves behind the stumps for the Tigers -- succumbed to euphoria while thinking about the result and had not been concentrating on the process that needs to be done in order to get a desired outcome when he tried to grab the ball early in an attempt to have Kane Williamson run-out in the 12th over. Mushfiqur knocked the bails off with his arm before grabbing the ball and the Kiwi skipper -- batting on eight at that time -- who was nowhere near the crease, had eventually made his ground and survived, courtesy of that error. Williamson, who was finally dismissed on 40 in the 32nd over, went on to string together a 105-run third-wicket stand with Ross Taylor in a game that the Tigers lost by just two wickets.

GOD LET THE SUN SHINE!

The persistent drizzle at the Country Ground in Bristol on June 11 might not have had a huge impact on the lifestyle of the city's inhabitants but it did mar Bangladesh's chalked out plan or intended route to the semifinal of the World Cup. Going into the World Cup, Bangladesh were expected to beat the likes of Afghanistan, West Indies -- which they did eventually -- and Sri Lanka. And when Bangladesh started their campaign with an unexpected yet well-deserved 21-run victory over South Africa, the Tigers had just made their chances brighter, needing to do the regulation work from then on and a few surprise wins over the powerhouses of cricket to pave their way to a maiden World Cup semifinal. However, it all depended on that game against Sri Lanka -- a side that are one place lower in ICC ODI rankings than Bangladesh -- where the Tigers were clearly the favourites. Unfortunately, the Tigers were kept waiting, maybe with hopes of the rain to stop in Bristol, till the official announcement of the match being abandoned was made, forcing the Tigers to remain content with one point from the inexperienced Sri Lankan side.

SABBIR IMPACTED THE RIGHT TEAM

The team management was probably right on money to give Sabbir Rahman the nod ahead of Mosaddek Hossain for the game against Australia on June 20 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, given Sabbir's reputation and proven ability of playing pace well and better than most in the Tigers' XI. But little did they know that Sabbir's impact in the game would see Australia opener David Warner's bat shine instead of Sabbir himself. Often the destructive Warner does not provide his opposition with any chances but Bangladesh were probably lucky to have been presented with two chances by the left-hander which were both relinquished in the same game. The first opportunity came as early as the fifth over, when Warner went on his back foot to cut a Mashrafe Bin Mortaza delivery towards backward point only to see a perfectly positioned Sabbir going low to his right with both hands and spilling the ball onto the ground. Warner, on just 10, breathed a sigh of relief. By the time the next opportunity came, Warner had inflicted just the right amount of pain as expected after being handed a life early on, as the 32-year old was then batting on 70 in the 26th over. A slight mix-up between him and Usman Khawaja saw Warner run a quarter way to other end but he soon realised that he had to sprint back. A fumble by the same culprit, Sabbir, at mid-on allowed Warner to reach home safely. And this time Warner would stop only after hitting a 147-ball 166 in a game where the Tigers lost by 48 runs and were left wondering what could have happened had they restricted Australia to 30 or 40 runs less than their mammoth 381 for five.

TAMIM HAD NOT DONE THAT

Tamim Iqbal usually takes these types of catches nine times out of ten during fielding drills at practice sessions. But the one time he would miss the catch was unfortunately during Bangladesh's must-win game against India on July 2 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. This time it was not a call for catch by a fielding coach after hitting the ball in the air with a willow during practice sessions as it was India opener Rohit Sharma who had mistimed an attempted pull shot off Mustafizur Rahman in the fifth over of a high intensity World Cup tie. Tamim, running to his left from deep square leg, covered almost 15 yards and did all the hard work before applying the finishing touch -- catching the ball. But to everyone's surprise he spilled the ball after touching it with the palm of his hand before watching it ricochet off his chest and fall to the ground. Rohit, who was on nine, moved onto 10 after taking a single and survived. But you don't expect a batsman of Rohit's calibre to stop there, right? Shrugging off the heart in hand moment, Rohit kept on inflicting misery on Bangladesh, scoring a magnificent 104 off 92 deliveries. The right-hander was adjudged player-of-the-match in their 28-run victory over the Tigers. 

THERE WAS A CLONE OF SHAKIB?

While wondering about what could have happened for Bangladesh in the ongoing World Cup, imagining something totally absurd would not do much harm. The Tigers are out of the World Cup but one particular Tiger from the squad still remains in the mega event. Bangladesh's ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is well in contention for the player-of-tournament award after his excellent World Cup campaign. The prestigious award would certainly be at the top of Shakib's personal achievement's shelf and it would not be a surprise to see him add the trophy to his other accolades. Playing in eight matches, Shakib has scored fifty or more in seven of them -- with a score of 41 against Australia being the only anomaly. The all-rounder scored back-to-back hundreds in this World Cup and also smashed five fifties. Shakib, who finished with 606 runs, became only the third player ever after Sachin Tendulkar and Matthew Hayden to have scored 600 runs in one edition of the World Cup. While Sachin and Hayden did not part-take with the ball, Shakib has also scalped 11 wickets in the mega event to see him ahead of anyone else in the race to be adjudged the player-of-the-tournament. Maybe now the team management will be left pondering on ways to get a clone of Shakib to further bolster the side.

Prominent local coach Mohammad Salahuddin vented his deep frustration over the harshness of public judgment surrounding Shakib Al Hasan, who is unable to bid farewell to Test cricket at home due to public outrage stemming from his association with the recently ousted Awami League government and his apathetic stance during the student-led July Uprising.

Although Salahuddin did not explicitly single out Shakib in his Facebook post, it is understood to be about the 37-year-old ace all-rounder, who had expressed his desire to play his swansong Test in the first of two Tests against South Africa, beginning on 21 October in Mirpur.

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Shakib’s homecoming takes a U-turn

"I've never felt so much anger or sorrow towards the country or its people, but today, for some reason, I do. Don't we, as humans, ever make mistakes ourselves?" wrote Salahuddin, who had mentored Shakib and other icons of the country.

Fans of Shakib Al Hasan stage a protest against mob culture, demanding safety for the cricketer, outside Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on October 18, 2024. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Salahuddin highlighted the player's 17 years of service to the country, a legacy that has earned Bangladesh global respect. "Now, they won't be able to step onto the field. But not everyone will see the tears they shed," he lamented.

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‘If his farewell happened properly, I would’ve been happier’

Salahuddin also emphasised the charitable work done by the cricketer. "Do you know how many people they've helped provide food and clothing for? How many helpless people they've arranged treatment for?" he said, urging the public to embrace forgiveness, while pointing out the sacrifices these players have made for their country.

"Today, they've become enemies because they didn't post a status? Did you see when Mashrafe fought for the country after five surgeries? Or when Shakib bowled with a fractured finger? When Tamim batted with one hand, who was that for?

"Everyone loves their country in some way or another... they haven't harmed anyone; they've only helped. They are not murderers."

Comilla Victorians all-rounder Moeen Ali rated his side's head coach Mohammad Salahuddin as the best in Bangladesh and expressed his astonishment as to why he was not in charge of the Bangladesh national team.  

Moeen played vital roles when he won back-to-back Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) titles with Comilla Victorians in 2022 and 2023. On both occasions, he had Salahuddin at the helm, a coach who he has deemed as 'one of the best' he's ever worked with. 

"I am surprised he is not the head coach for Bangladesh. I am not sure if he's ever done it but he is one of the best I have worked with, he is definitely in my top five. He is one of the best coaches I have worked with. He is very good with young players. He is definitely the best in Bangladesh, that's my own opinion," Moeen told the media on Saturday. 

"I am very comfortable and I love playing for Comilla Victorians. They look after me very well and we have a good team and it's been three years I have been here [with Comilla] now and it's good," he added. 

A key member of England's 2022 T20 World Cup winning side, Moeen showed his class as he hit the ground running instantly in the ongoing edition of the BPL. He has made a habit of coming in late and delivering powering performances to help Comilla across the line. He made his mark with a hattrick and an unbeaten 24-ball 53 in his first match on Tuesday in Chattogram and has helped his side to consecutive wins after arriving in the country.  

Comilla Victorians head coach Mohammad Salahuddin had been seen working with Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan at Sylhet during the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Shakib has so far batted just twice at the BPL and did not come out to bat in two games due to eye problem.

Shakib is playing for Rangpur Riders this season but his batting sessions had been watched by Rangpur coach Sohel Islam and Salahuddin during the last week. After Comilla's win over Chattogram Challengers today, Salahuddin was asked at the press conference about Shakib's chances of making a return with the bat.

"When Shakib and I talk, it's mostly about things outside of cricket. It's very rare we talk about cricket and talk about our own problems and how to solve them. There is very less talk about cricket. It wouldn't be right to talk about what we discussed [regarding Shakib's batting]," the Comilla coach said at the press conference.

Shakib's eye issue had seen him bat at number eight in one of the games. He had taken the opportunity to not come to bat in his side's last two matches. He has however batted extensively at the nets, hoping to get back into the mould of things and work on his batting. Shakib has however bowled in all four games he has played in the BPL so far.

Salahuddin was asked if Shakib would be able to return to being his usual self as a batter.

"If he can't return [with the bat] then he won't play cricket anymore. I feel that he is still in the field because he can return," Salahuddin opined at the end of the press conference.

Ariful Alam Khaled came to Dhaka from Chattogram's Sandwip, an island located in the north-east of the Bay of Bengal, to attend a coaching workshop in Mirpur on Friday. Cricket has seeped into Bangladesh's consciousness so greatly that the sport managed to wash ashore to Sandwip. 

Ariful had set his sight on a coaching classas he aims to deliver something better to his students at Sandwip Cricket Academy. Thus he didn't hesitate to travel by speedboat to Kumira, Sitakunda before boarding a bus to Dhaka.

As many as 12 students, each with a background different from Ariful, attended Prime Bank and Comilla Victorians' coach Mohammad Salahuddin's first workshop on Friday – titled Master the game with Mohammad Salahuddin -- organised by PhysioCare Wellness Centre.

It reflected the passion for cricket in the country, for in Sandwip, money and cricket coaching do not go hand in hand, Ariful informed. There are 150 students in the academy where he teaches but participation is sporadic.

"Yes, it's a risk as a source of income because people there don't know that in order to learn to play, you also need to pay. I'm doing it out of passion," he said.

One of the participants involved former women's national team skipper Jahanara Alam, who had a women's Dhaka Premier League game on Saturday but took the time to do the evening workshop nonetheless.

"It's a workshop based on level A. As you know, Australian and England players have already completed level 2 and when they finish playing, they go for level 3.

When you have undergone courses, it will help make an impact in your game," Jahanara told The Daily Star regarding taking the class, adding that coaching was an option for her in the future.

A mentor to many such as Bangladesh ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, Salahuddin wanted to pass on his knowledge and passion. His students seemed mesmerised during his three-hour session.

The dearth of local coaches who have been in national setups had been felt. The national team has not had many local coaches in the head coach role due to one reason or the other.

"Having coached for the last 25 years, I feel I have some responsibility so that coaches coming after me are better than me and can do something good for Bangladesh," Salahuddin said.

"I think coaching education should be looked at seriously since we haven't had a world-class coach yet. We have to improve the standards of coaches' education system and if we don't, we won't go forward. We have been playing international cricket for a long time and we have a few players of international standard, but we are yet to get coaches of international standards. It's not like this sector needs a lot of facilities," he added.

He felt that local coaches have the ability and need guidance.

"We need more talented coaches than just talented players since you need to nurture talented players. Our local coaches are nursing talents at grassroots level and if they improve, these players would also do well," he said.

The organisers intend to introduce online classes, further ushering hopes that young coaches like Ariful can attend workshops from afar and take Bangladesh forward.