Team management under the scanner

While the blame game between the board and the players intensifies in the media, Bangladesh team returned home yesterday empty-handed following a disastrous ICC T20 World Cup campaign, in which they lost all five Super 12 games of the marquee event.

Bangladesh's preparation modus operandi prior to the World Cup, where the team management had opted for slow and low pitches at home on their way to winning series against Australia and New Zealand, has already faced serious backlash.

The inability to tackle top-class bowling attacks was brutally exposed in sporting pitches at the mega event while the fielding department raised huge concerns over dropped catches that had cost Bangladesh dearly against Sri Lanka and West Indies.

Question can be raised on whether the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) high-ups and the team management had any long-term vision before heading to the World Cup or the focus was merely on short-term glory achieved from exploiting home conditions.

With the Bangladesh team not likely to get enough time to evaluate their abysmal World Cup performance as the three-match T20I series and two-match Test series against Pakistan is set to begin this month, all eyes will be on the approach from the team management.

There have been a lot of speculations over a massive overhaul in the team following the latest dreadful show but considering the reality and the structure of the domestic circuit, do the selectors even possess a strong pipeline to inject fresh faces for a meaningful turnaround?

And considering the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022 and the ODI World Cup the following year, it is high time the board, selectors and the team management buckled up to form a long-term plan immediately.

Whether it is the need to develop sporting pitches at home in the near future, as suggested by the spin bowling coach Rangana Herath or pacer Taskin Ahmed, the question remains on whether it is just the pitch or the mentality of the entire Bangladesh cricket that needs to transform.

Another burning issue has been the difference between the senior players and an apparent lack of leadership, both on and off the field, which had reached its peak, especially when the underperforming players could hardly raise their opinion in team meetings and find solace in pressure situations.

Also by factoring in covid-19 protocols, where life inside a bio-secure bubble can take its toll on the mental health of the cricketers, the Tigers were already on a slippery slope when the situation had spiralled out of control during the flagship event this time.

As of now, the evaluation report of the World Cup is already being prepared, where the lack of participation in various issues by the cricketers has already been mentioned. However, to create a secure and healthy environment for the players to express themselves will be of paramount importance, or else Bangladesh cricket will only be destined to accelerate into a black hole in the days to come.