<i>Bangladesh cricket</i>
I think time has come to draw curtains on Bangladesh test cricket after the poor performance against South Africa. Our captain's post-match comment clearly indicated his team's incapability to play international cricket. Dismal performances one after another no longer justify clinging to a status for which we are not worthy of. Gordon Greenidge had said about ten years ago that the country was not in a position to play test cricket and instead suggested to strengthen school cricket throughout the country first, to pick up and develop talented players from every nook and cranny of the country. We are in no better position now. Selection of players for national team with some experience in local league cricket in Dhaka alone will not make the country's cricket. We have now become the laughing stock before them as predicted by Greenidge. Some of the top test playing countries refuse to play against Bangladesh and others play only to create new world records! Let us not blame the players any more. They may have reached the peak of their capacity and can no longer improve their skill and deliver anything better. Therefore, there is no use to retain these players only to see the same disastrous results repeated. Instead of wasting our hard earned foreign exchange on hiring foreign coaches let us redesign our strategy for the development of cricket in the country. My suggestion would be to set up a cricket development academy. The primary responsibility of this academy would be to organise school cricket, and also district and divisional cricket tournaments. In the process, talented, promising and physically fit young players could be picked up for coaching and rigorous training, both at home and abroad. Those players grouped into various categories could be sent abroad on a routine basis to play as many games of the longer version as possible with the second string teams of the test playing nations. Foreign teams could be invited also to play matches in the country with those teams. Players consistently doing well in these games could form the nucleus of the national team. Besides, it would be the responsibility of the academy also to develop infrastructures, play grounds and other facilities, in various parts of the country to facilitate development of cricket. At present, apart from two stadiums in Dhaka and Chittagong, there are hardly any facilities at the district level, and even those available at a few places are in a shambles and unfit for organising international cricket. The ICC could be approached for financial assistance. Cricket needs to be played professionally to attract young and talented players and proper sponsorship needs to be found out for organising the tournaments. Cellular companies, banks and other foreign companies may be approached for the sponsorship deals. In our neighbouring countries such companies played a great role in development of sports in their countries. Unfortunately, we have not yet noticed any such initiative in our country particularly from the banking institutions and mobile operating companies who are making enormous annual profit. Money payable to the non-performing national cricketers should be slashed and diverted towards this direction. Let us give the matter a serious thought, otherwise the country could face the danger of expulsion from the test playing club by the ICC in the face of growing pressure from the test playing nations for the country's failure to improve during a period of over a decade. The most ominous sign is that people are gradually loosing interest in Bangladesh cricket.
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