‘Their development is getting hampered’

Interest in youth level or age-level cricket in the country is casual at best but when an international trophy comes around, the expectations of a success-starved nation amplifies. Now the 2020 U-19 World Cup triumph fuels hope for a brighter future. However, the purpose of these international tournaments is still to unearth gems; results are only secondary at these stages.

On Saturday, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, a mentor to many stalwarts in the national side and one who was national game development manager and head cricket coach at BKSP, pondered the situation in a Facebook message.

The eleven that played the first match of the ongoing U-19 Asia Cup for India had all made their debuts at U-19 level and Fahim asked if the scenario has any significance for us.

While talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Fahim had shed further light on the scenario. 

"There are players who were in the last U-19 World Cup too and are stuck. They have been playing at this stage for a few years now and the matter of progression is missing. There is the A team, first-class and the premier league that comes next in the progression. "In U-19 you spend maybe one-and-a-half years and move to the next but there are a few who have been stuck here for three or more years. Their development is getting hampered by not taking adequate challenges at the right time," Fahim dictated.

Performance is an issue but Fahim explained that players need the right challenge in such stages. "Instead of raising the bar of performance, we're keeping it at the same level or even lowering it in some cases. Already they are in a lower phase of development than they should be," he analysed. Majority of cricketers in the Bangladesh squad played 9 to 10 one-dayers at U-19 level. But there are few who have experience of over 30 matches.

"We're trying to show everybody that we're doing well and winning an international trophy but it will not be of any benefit. Doesn't India want to win a trophy? We are putting someone who has over 30 matches under the belt in U-19 level through the same challenges that India are exposing ones with no experience at this level," Fahim dictated. Not only would this hamper individual players that were included, but also hinder the growth of upcoming players, who could have featured in the U-19 level.

"In our local cricket, often it's encouraged to reduce one's age and perform well to come to the limelight. We don't see a 15-year-old playing well against 18-year-olds. Somehow, it doesn't appeal to us to highlight the success of someone who performed above his age-level," Fahim explained before noting that this mindset needs to change. Without the foresight of what challenges are fit for what level, Bangladesh will struggle to get their quality to the optimum level and the challenges in international cricket then would be far steeper if this line of thinking continues.