‘Must forego looking for immediate results’

"T20 is kind of easier, four hours the game is over. The leagues all around the world, there is a lot more money - I suppose this is part and parcel of the modern cricket. T20 or Test cricket. One-day cricket is kind of dying. It is quite tiring for a player to play one-day cricket. After T20, one-day cricket seems it is going for days. So, players are focusing more on shorter format. And longer format obviously [with] Test cricket."

— Pakistan great Wasim Akram

Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram was in favour of scrapping the ODI format as Test and T20 cricket gain more ground across the world, fueling the flames of the ODI format's uncertain future that came to the fore when England's Ben Stokes recently chose to retire from the 50-over game.

While ODIs are the Tigers' favoured format, Bangladesh's performances and results in the other two formats have failed to inspire.

"T20 is kind of easier. Four hours, the game is over. Leagues all around the world, there is a lot more money -- I suppose this is part and parcel of the modern cricket. T20 or Test cricket. One-day cricket kind of dying," Akram said during a talk with The Telegraph.

If ODIs are losing their allure, sooner rather than later, cricket organisers will have to decide whether ODIs remain relevant. What should Bangladesh do in such a scenario? Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, a mentor to many of the national team stars, felt that Bangladesh would eventually have to focus on the other formats when ODIs become obsolete.

"Test cricket very competitive at the moment. The longest format was able to overcome the arguments that it was not an exciting format. However, due to T20Is, the ODI format may suffer. The general populace will be more intrigued by T20s," Fahim said.

"Many say that we won't be able to play T20I cricket due to a lack of power or other things. I don't believe that at all. I think we haven't tried anything except in ODIs in the truest sense. When we will be cornered, we will find a way. When ODIs start to fade, we will focus more on either T20s or Tests. I believe our standards will increase when we start considering T20s seriously."

Bangladesh do not have much time left to gear up for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon had said during a recent interview that they were looking to build a new team for the format but did not divulge when would be the right time to bring those changes.

"Those who are there will make up the squad but then question becomes why those players didn't feature in the West Indies?" Fahim asked.

"Whether we have enough players to build a new team or enhance bench strength, considering the time we have left for the World Cup, is a question. We have to think of a final team and put them in for the upcoming assignments before the big event," he said.

Fahim opined that Bangladesh must get out of the loop of getting immediate results.

"We have to step away from trying to get immediate results. Whether it's the T20 World Cup or other events, we need to focus on the rebuilding process for the next one to one-and-a-half years. We need to look at the probable players and give them opportunities. 'A' team programs should also prioritise T20s.

"If you think of the immediate future and the World Cup, you will not be able to experiment. But the stage we are in, we need to experiment. It's important to find players who show the characteristics required for T20s. If you don't have the fearless attitude, it's difficult to play T20s. We need to identify such players," Fahim concluded.