'Team bonding' gives 9.8cr-powered Abahani edge

Amid the ongoing heatwave, while the rest of the coaches looked tense as the Dhaka Premier League fixtures at BKSP hung in balance yesterday, Abahani coach Khaled Mahmud Sujon looked at ease, his calmness embodied by Mosaddek Hossain's knock that helped clinched the title. Despite the team's financial muscle, there is more to it than meets the eye in Abahani's 23rd title, says coach Mahmud as he spoke to Abdullah Al Mehdi of The Daily Star. 

The Daily Star (DS): How was the whole tournament from all teams' perspective?

Khaled Mahmud (KM): For Abahani, it was fantastic. If you think of the tournament, it was not bad. I don't know if it would be right to say this, but, four or five teams appeared not to be up to Premier League standards. The rest of the seven teams found it easy. Previously, eight or nine teams used to fight for a Super League spot.

DS: Do the rest of the clubs feel they should take the remaining players after Abahani form their team, or are they intimidated by Abahani's financial strength, among other aspects?

KM: It's the second thing [feeling intimidated]. The first is definitely wrong. I want a player, so what problem is there? [Tawhid] Hridoy played for Sheikh Jamal [Dhanmondi Club] last year and I let him go. Someone wants a player, then they have to bargain, right? If I am paying five taka, you can propose eight taka. No one is denying them that. Players are free to go anywhere but they always think twice before leaving this environment in Abahani. It's not only money but the atmosphere that players enjoy a lot.

DS. What sort of club atmosphere creates value for your players?

KM: One reason is payments, which I feel is very important in DPL. If you ask any player in the team, you will see that none of them have to ask for their payments to Abahani. They know that they will get their payments in a timely manner.
Even if a player leaves Abahani, no one ever leaves without full payment. I have heard incidents at many clubs where a player says 'sir, I still have pending payment with that club, so how can I come?' Some clubs withhold payment, but this culture doesn't exist in Abahani. I can say Abahani are a cricket team and a family.

DS: Abahani have been forming team with youngsters, leaving the big four of DPL?

KM: They [big four] are very expensive. The guys here have been playing with me for a while. They are a very happy family. They do a lot of swearing and addas and I always like to watch that.
If Riyad plays for my team -- obviously I like him a lot and I want him to play for my side -- then the language that they would use in the dressing room would be different. I don't even go into the dressing room sometimes, afraid of what they might say. Youngsters may not be comfortable with the seniors.

DS: Apart from financial muscle, what's important to win a championship?

KM: It's team-bonding. They play for each other, and they play for their friends. They go out to eat together and roam around together. I don't have to do much, and they are the ones planning on how the team would win and I help them.

DS: How can the other clubs reduce the gap with Abahani?

KM: Abahani had the same problem. I have told them [club management] that I will take less renowned players to build a team on budget, but I have to ensure full payment of players. This develops trust towards Abahani.

Most players are expensive, and our budget is [Tk] 9.8 crore, which is more than a BPL [Bangladesh Premier League] team's where local and foreign players' payment do not add up to such an amount.

This Abahani is different from their previous versions, and this Abahani builds a team very professionally.