Manzur Ahmed said yesterday that an evaluation on the state of cricket in the country will be undertaken.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO believes that only an honest appraisal that looks into every corner will bring stability in the national team as well as the game as a whole.
“I would like to see it in management terms and in this case it will be called an evaluation,” said Manzur, who informed that he is receiving reports from those who travelled to Zimbabwe during the disastrous tour.
“We’ll look into the reports from the various individuals and then do a complete evaluation of the team both on and off the field,” he said.
The loss in the one-off Test and the one-day series brought out the worst in Bangladesh cricket. The excuse for the 130-run defeat in the Test match was down to the Tigers’ absence from the Test arena for more than a year, the decision more BCB’s prerogative.
But while that loss could have been an isolated incident, what happened next actually showed why Bangladesh cricket is still considered backwards.
The Tigers went on to lose the one-day series 3-2 and the margin only got some semblance of respectability after Zimbabwe rested their new sensation and took their foot off the peddle in the last two ODIs.
Head coach Stuart Law, manager Tanjeeb Ahsan, selector Habibul Bashar and head of delegations Shafiqur Rahman Munna are all set to deliver their reports on the happenings of the tour. The board will sit with the information and discuss the issues in a meeting right after the Eid holidays next week.
Manzur said that while there are various comments being made individually, the BCB will come up with its own statement very soon. “There are comments being made individually but the board will come up with its own statement soon,” he said.
Apart from mulling over these reports, there is also the suggestion of repeating an inquiry committee which in 2003 delivered a damning assessment of the Tigers’ failure in that year’s World Cup.
While Manzur didn’t rule out such an inquest, he said that the decision that will be taken in the near future will be something close to what happened eight years ago.
“We are holding discussions and we will receive reports. We know there’s merit to an inquiry committee but it is not decided yet,” he said.
“It will definitely be an honest appraisal and we’ll look at all areas within the national team as well,” added the CEO.
Manzur confirmed that a comprehensive view will be taken so that every aspect of cricket in Bangladesh will be looked into, mentioning three specific broad areas.
“Actually, we are looking at three areas to better our cricket,” he said. “First it is the wickets, then the High Performance unit and lastly, the first-class cricket structure. These are all in place but there is always room for improvement.”
-With The Daily Star input
