Aminul steps in as ‘wickets exist but no plan’

Wickets have been at the centre of recent conversations in Bangladesh cricket. Not only did the surfaces recently used against Pakistan draw sharp criticism, concerns over practice wickets have also been simmering for years, with players increasingly voicing their discomfort.

So, when the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul personally inspected the practice pitches at the Academy Ground and the ones near the indoor facility, it naturally raised eyebrows. Why would the board president need to get involved in such matters, especially when the Grounds Committee exists to handle them? His presence suggested just how far the department had lagged behind.

As a former Bangladesh captain with experience at the ICC, Aminul felt compelled to intervene.

"I talked to the players after the last match we played [against Pakistan] and felt their needs regarding good practice wickets," Aminul told The Daily Star on Tuesday. "Since I understand wickets quite a bit, that's why I wanted to see for myself."

He added that while the players offered hints, his own observations confirmed that wicket preparation lacked planning. With major assignments like the Asia Cup and World Cup coming up, he stressed the importance of aligning practice conditions with the ones players will face -- particularly in places like Dubai.

"If our boys can play in similar wickets, they will perform there."

Cricketers, in fact, have long felt that the practice surfaces, particularly the greenhouse wickets meant for use during the monsoon, have hampered development. According to the BCB boss, the problem stems from poor planning.

"Most of the wickets are underprepared, especially the greenhouse wickets where only two wickets out of 14 can be used. I am not a groundsman and my main reason for going there was whether we were preparing the wickets to reflect conditions such as Dubai or Sharjah.

"When I went there, I found that wickets exist, but no plan is there. I have been seeing it for years and years but what action has taken place?" he said.

The BCB president says he is shifting focus to also bring wickets into the equation, recognising its crucial role in impacting top-level performance.

"I really feel bad about this that I demand so much from a player and even chastise them for playing badly. But do we think about what wickets we serve them?

"I have started asking for reports from the relevant department (grounds)… so that at least we quickly prepare wickets such as Sharjah and Dubai's for immediate needs… You have to give the players that confidence," he said, adding that weather cannot be a factor behind poor wickets since countries like Sri Lanka have more rain than Bangladesh.

Not only practice surfaces, but the centre wickets were also under inspection. Mirpur's head curator, Gamini de Silva, often comes under the spotlight for wrong reasons. Aminul asked questions regarding soil and process.

"I asked when he [Gamini] used new soil and whether he plants the grass or uses seeds. He said he plants them. I asked him how deep the roots go since sometimes when you plant, the root doesn't go deep. But when you use seeds, it will. Since we have regular matches in the centre wicket, it's better to plant rather than use seeds. But in the academy, you must use seed," the president reflected.

Amid speculation that Gamini might be reassigned outside Dhaka, Aminul informed "there is no truth to that" but the board is "talking with other curators and may replace him".

"His contract ended so maybe something like a sudden death phase may come up," he concluded.