Games development was once a very serious issue for Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). And to show the world how serious the board was to develop this vital cog, it hired
Eddie Barlow. The late South African legend did not disappoint, and his formula not only expedited Bangladesh’s case for Test status but also augured well in the long
run.
But for quite sometime the process has been stalled due to the absence of a true general. The board last week appointed Khaled Mahmud, a gutsy former national captain,
as games development committee chief at a time when many feel that this important committee is just doing routine work instead of being proactive and making the
pipeline healthier.
Mahmud, while talking to The Daily Star yesterday, said that his job would be to inject new life into the committee’s activities. He also felt that he should set a
long-term target.
Mahmud is one of three former captains now holding key posts in the board. And the biggest challenge for the trio would be to bury a debate on whether a cricketer can
equally be a good administrator.
“I have lot of plans but I should sit with the people concerned first before finalising my goal. Our main problem is that we run the game without any calendar and that
is not an exception in the games development committee. So, my first challenge would be to draw up a calendar for at least the next two years and implement it,” said
Mahmud.
“If we want to climb up the ladder we must ensure that our development activities run properly because without that you [BCB] will face a dearth in quality players in
the pipeline. We have been arranging age level cricket just for the sake of holding such a tournament, but we also have to understand how important it is to take
proper care of these tournaments,” he continued.
Mahmud said that he wants to develop a system from where young cricketers can learn all the basics before entering the competitive field.
“For example a young player should get the opportunity to play on grassy wickets at tender age. So I want to focus on these kinds of finer points. I don’t think our
local coaches are given enough opportunities. I want curators exclusively for that in my committee,” said Mahmud adding that he would also try to develop software that
brings uniformity in the cricketing practices throughout the country.
Mahmud also has plan in store for the BCB’s National Cricket Academy.
“We do not have any special ground for the Academy which is really frustrating. I will try my best to get a BKSP ground exclusively for the Academy, so that we can
make different types of wickets,” he added.
-With The Daily Star input
