2024-08-28 12:38:35
Published: 17:54, 26 August 2024
What Mushfiqur Rahim brought to the fore by winning the Test match in Rawalpindi is mostly hidden. Mushfiqur played a brilliant innings of 191 runs in this Test. Not only Mushfiqur, Sadman Islam tackled Pakistan’s four pacers firmly and scored 93 runs with the new ball. 77 runs came from Mirage’s bat. Also the pacers were all great.
Great success has been achieved by the combined efforts of all. Pakistan has been defeated for the first time in Test cricket. Behind this success is the tireless work of the five-day cricketers, but the big credit goes to the local coaches for making them. Those artisans remain hidden most of the time.
BCB this time arranged to keep the regular face of the Test team and the cricketers around the team busy. From veterans like Mushfiqur to youngsters like Nahid Rana, Bangladesh Tigers’ training camp has a place. They were quietly preparing for the Test in that two and a half month training camp. They were made by local coaches Sohail Islam, Mizanur Rahman Babul, Tarek Azizra. All six of the Bangladesh Test XI were not in the T20 World Cup. Hasan Mahmood, who joined the Tigers’ camp later, was not part of the original squad. The camp of Bangladesh Tigers runs with them.
Mushfiqur credited the local coaches for winning the match. BCB director Nazmul Abedin Fahim demanded their evaluation on the big stage, ‘I think the media also has a responsibility there (not evaluating local coaches). The media never mentions it. Maybe we don’t either. We do not appreciate that from the board. The media also doesn’t highlight the contribution of our local coaches. I think whoever has contribution should come out. It is very important. It’s a team, but it’s a huge undertaking. There is a lot of work here. If we can do each job properly then we will have a chance to do well. That’s why everyone who does good work should be appreciated. The length of time they have worked there certainly has an effect.’
The future of Chandika Hathurusingha’s Bangladesh is in doubt after the new board president took over. Time will tell if he will stick around as head coach. However, Nazmul does not want to take the credit from Hathurusingha for winning the Rawalpindi Test, ‘I can say as a coach, the way I saw the team playing, it seemed that the dressing room was in a good condition. The coach has a role to play in keeping the dressing room in good shape. This achievement may have to be given to him (Hathurusingh) for sure. But a coach should be evaluated based on his work over a long period of time. When the team won in this Test match, the aggression we saw in the win, the strength to dictate to win, everyone has a role to play. The head of the selection committee was there. Say captain or coach, senior players. Or all players have a role to play. A good win credit goes to everybody.’
Fahim, in favor of giving full freedom to the coach and team management to bring out the best results, said, ‘When a team goes out to play, they should be given full freedom. If those in the party are given that freedom to make decisions then there is no looking back. But if a rope is pulled from behind, they will not be able to make their own decisions. Decisions are not always correct. But deciding on independence is important. In cricket of course. There is a coach, a captain, a chairman of the selection committee. They are good for making any decision. Be it team selection or whatever. They will fulfill their responsibilities. Our job is to support them in any work. But nothing more than that.’
Yasin/Aminul