Selectors Plan to Make Tigers a Force in Red-Ball Cricket within 2 Years

With an ambitious plan to make Bangladesh a force to reckon within longer version format within the next two years, the selectors, led by Minhajul Abedin Nannu devised a roadmap which they would execute once the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) approves it.

According to Minhajul Abedin, such type of plan is imperative to execute as the team continues to hit the lowest ebb in the Test format.

Since their elevation to this format in 2000, the players so far played 123 Tests, won just 14, and lost a staggering number of 92 Tests of which 43 defeats were by an innings margin. The rest of the 17 Tests, including the last Test, were drawn, reports BCB.

For such a dismal record, Bangladesh often faced criticism from the rest of the cricket world and cricket pundits, who even sometimes urged ICC to seize the country’s Test status.

“We had devised a long term plan for the longer version cricket, which we’ll execute in this September if the Covid-19 situation of the country becomes normal,” chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu said here today.

“We want to design the longer format in such a way so that Bangladesh are able to bolster their position in this format within two years. Utilizing our experiences (as we, the selectors played in top level cricket and worked as selectors for many years), we prepared a plan. If this plan is followed, I think we can reach a good height in red ball cricket,” he added.

Such sort of plan was heard to be devised in the past but they never came into the light. Minhajul, also the former Bangladesh skipper said, this time it would be a different case.

“The plan is ready and we’ll submit it to the board within a couple of days. Under this plan, it will be mandatory for all divisional teams to form an Under-23 team. They will play on a home and away basis. By doing so, I think we can provide many players to the pipeline and we’ll get a good base for the red-ball cricket,” he revealed.

“From what we have seen, if a country’s red-ball cricket base is not strong, they will never fight for the championship in any format of the cricket. You have to get a good number of players and you have to be established in all aspects. So red ball cricket is always a top priority because we know if we play well in Test cricket, we automatically will be good in other formats of cricket,” Minhajul said.