Are Bangladesh fit for Test Cricket ?
There was widespread cynicism amongst some of the leading people in cricket when Bangladesh was afforded Test status in 2000. Nobody believed their playing standard would be good enough and concerns about the playing infra-structure underpinning Bangladesh’s Test team was fully justified.
Bangladesh’s election to ICC Full Member status provided an additional vote from the sub-continent on any major issue. India’s increasing influence on the decision-making process at ICC’s top table became greater, and the standard of world cricket was reduced by a team unable to compete equally at the new level for the past decade. Even fast bowler, Jason Gillespie, made an unbeaten double century against them, as nightwatchman for Australia in his final Test. Bangladesh’s 57 defeats from 66 Tests, is a poor record by anyone’s stretch of imagination, but patience and perseverance is necessary from Bangladesh and all other members of the cricketing family, to ensure the seeds invested in Bangladesh’s development do not wither and die.
The game needs more countries to develop a culture of cricketing excellence to grow its constituency in the future. Quality Test Cricketers emerge from a strong domestic structure and a commitment to the game at club and school level. People often talk about ‘the grass roots’ of the game but the key in terms of developing excellence isn’t necessarily about the number of people participating in the game. It is about developing a mindset amongst the better players to challenge their own boundaries and push towards new levels of personal bests, on and off the field.
The quality of competition (in both skill, and competitive spirit) beneath Test cricket feeds a Test team. However, it is the processes in place which underpin the First-Class cricket structure, that are vital to nourishing a healthy system. Competitive matches and formats for tournaments need to be geared towards weeding out those individuals and teams who do not come up to the mark. Knock-out Cups and Regional Tournaments are good examples of how a level of intensity can be generated with regard to establishing criteria for selection for further opportunities. If the stakes are always high with regard to selection for the next phase of recognition all the way up to Test cricket. A healthy system naturally de-selects people by sorting ‘the wheat from the chaff’ through the quality of its process.
The late, great, Sir Donald Bradman once said: ‘‘May cricket continue to flourish and spread its wings, the world can only be richer for it.’’
For this to happen, investment in facilities and top quality coaching needs to be maintained at worst, and increased substantially at best. The late Eddie Barlow, a truly inspirational cricketer and coach, forecast a bright future for Bangladesh during his time as National Coach. Sadly Eddie’s own poor health, and subsequent early death, robbed Bangladesh of a man with a track record of transforming emerging cricketing communities from ‘beginners’ in top-class cricket to achievers, over time.
To become ‘achievers’ collectively, the quick bowling department needs to be addressed. Without pitches to provide encouragement for seam bowling and ‘out-and-out’ pacemen, it will be difficult to develop quality seamers for possible success on overseas tours. Unless an overseas programme gets created to develop the current bowlers more fully and accelerate the learning of the most promising crop of emerging pacemen, Bangladesh will remain vulnerable to every opponent away from home. Even at home, they will struggle, because opposition pacemen, (despite the heat), will provide a stern examination of the home batsmen’s courage against bowling they are unused to facing in domestic competition, or in the nets from their own international attack.
Bangladesh’s flat pitches are batting paradises. There needs to be a better balance between bat and ball for cricket to be worth watching, and to stimulate the players involved in ‘the contest’.
The possibility for developing excellence in reverse swing bowling is there. Rubel Hossain looks a promising bowler and if he can be joined by two other quality bowlers the attack has a different complexion to it. The average age of the team is in the early twenties, which suggests the benefits of the learning experiences can bear fruit with a similar group of players able to move forward together in this new decade. Contrast this with England who often refer to players as being ‘young’ when they are in their mid-to-late twenties, such as James Tredwell who made his Test debut in the 2nd test at Dhaka at the age of 28. Tredwell’s age on debut is not a new phenomenon in English cricket, as the list below highlights. From the current England team, Graeme Swann made his Test debut in December 2008 at the age of 29; Michael Carberry debuted in the 1st Test versus Bangladesh at Chittagong at 29; Jonathan Trott was 28 when he made his debut Test century at The Oval against Australia in 2009; Matt Prior was 25 on debut in 2007 at Lord’s v West Indies; Andrew Strauss was 27 when making a century on debut in 2004 versus New Zealand at Lord’s; Kevin Pietersen (25) at Lord’s in 2005 versus Australia; Tim Bresnan (24) at Lord’s versus West Indies in 2009. Even Alec Stewart, England’s most capped Test cricketer, didn’t make his Test debut until he was 27. Stewart’s 133 Test appaearances suggest he was either a late developer or his potential went unrecognised for too long by conservative selectors.
For Bangladesh to improve with the bat, they need to make 100’s and establish more 100 partnerships. Tamim Iqbal looks an amazing talent at the top of the order, playing in the breathtaking manner of Sri Lankan ‘dasher’, Sanath Jayasuriya. A total of 419 in the first innings of the 2nd Test against England in Dhaka, with four batsmen making half-centuries (including the devastating 89 by Tamim Iqbal at the start of the innings) suggests that their batting may be on an upward curve. On their own pitches, they will be competitive because of the difficulty opposition seam bowlers will experience in extracting pace, bounce, or sideways movement, apart from when using the new ball.
Despite having plenty of spinners, the key question remains, how good are they? Captain Shakib Al Hasan looks their best spinner, as well as being a good batsman. It is no surprise that Worcestershire have taken a punt on him being able to perform in English conditions as their overseas player in 2010. The experience will be invaluable to him, and the ground-breaking move may blaze a trail for others to follow in future years.
The key for Bangladesh in terms of player and team development, will be greater access to overseas experience such as county cricket for individuals and a Tour of UK by Bangladesh ‘A’ playing against county 2nd XI teams and University sides in alien climactic conditions, and on pitches which encourage lateral movement. This will challenge the techniques of their batsmen and force them to improve their footwork and be more judicious in their strokeplay. It could also inspire a body of seam bowlers, by providing conditions which will offer them greater assistance than most cricket nations around the world.
Cricket needs Bangladesh if it is to broaden its appeal. In a country of 150 million people, (the majority of whom are living in poverty), cricket offers a prospect of a better life to those who are given the chance to explore their talent and pursue excellence. The challenge will be providing access to greater opportunity to more of Bangladesh’s inhabitants. A difficult start in Test Cricket should not be a handicap to a good future. By comparison, if one looks at the early record of other sub-continental teams, it shows that given time, they have been able to produce players and teams that have enriched the game.
Currently they may be a poor side (some good batsmen in terms of talent but all are in need of developing better temperaments), bowlers who are below average, but making improvements the more they play. They deserve every encouragement. The fact they took England to final session on last day in 2nd Test suggests as much, this after 10 days of Test cricket in the space of a fourteen day period.
They have no ‘senior’ player/role model to turn to, unlike opposition teams, especially without a Habibul Bashar, or Mohammad Ashraful. Bashar looked an exceptional young player at the age of 21 when he first emerged as an exciting young player in international cricket in the 1990’s, while Ashraful’s maiden ODI century in the win against Australia in 2005 inspired one of sport’s greatest upsets. Developing a core of quality senior players is key to the development of top teams. This takes time, as it is not just about gaining more experience, and adding more caps to one’s personal collection. It has to be about players evolving so that they can contribute more to the collective effort through their quality of personal example, on and off the field.
Mushfiqur Rahim looks an improving wicket-keeper and took some excellent stumpings in the 2nd Test from balls which turned and bounced sharply. Australian great, Ian Healy once likened his role behind the stumps to being ‘the drummer in the band’. If Rahim continues to improve, all he will need is a couple of other artistes, and the band could start to ‘rock’. For this to happen, Bangladesh will need to persevere with their young players to ensure their initial investment can harvest good long-term returns.
Their fielding standards will also need to improve dramatically. Teams who possess relatively ‘toothless’ bowlers require the highest possible standard of fielding support. There is no excuse for low fielding standards in professional teams (let alone international teams) – it is only hard work on the technical skills, agility, and all-round fitness to gain a quantum leap in a relatively short period of time. The skill level for fielding is incomparable to the complexity of batting and bowling at international level, thus the amount of time needed to hone these aspects of performance is far greater.
Should there be a place at the top table of International Cricket for emerging Nations like Bangladesh?
The Test series between England and Bangladesh has been played out in competitive spirit on some very flat pitches but the quality of cricket on offer caused many to reject it in favour of Twenty20 Cricket from the IPL. There has been a gulf in class, and some naivety in Bangladesh’s cricket, but they have not been pushovers by any means and progress is being made.
Bangladesh can draw inspiration from their neighbours, when one considers how difficult it was for India and Sri Lanka to start out in international cricket, and that both nations are currently ranked amongst the elite in Test Cricke. Each nation has won a World Cup, with India adding an ICC Twenty20 to its accomplishments too. Their progress highlights what can be achieved in cricket, and in life, with high levels of ambition and desire. Pakistan have also decorated the world game and beaten the best in Test Cricket as well as winning the World Cup and ICC Twenty20 World Cup, and all this against a backdrop of volatility within its administration of the sport. More importantly, these subcontinent teams have produced players who have decorated the world game with distinctive styles and enthralled the viewer all around the world.
Contrast this with England’s achievements and their significant financial and playing resources which includes 400 professional cricketers and the opportunity to select players from other nations. England has yet to achieve a World Cup win in either format of the game, has zero ICC global tournament wins to its name, and this record is set against the backdrop of over 130 years of history playing International Cricket.
Only a misplaced arrogance on the part of people wrapped up in a historical perspective of cricket’s power base, says Bangladesh will not (one day) challenge the dominance of others in world cricket.
Over time, progress can be made, but patience and perseverance will be needed in spades (as well as greater investment in top-level coaching, facilities, and infra-structure) to ensure the game grows in a part of the world where cricket can change lives for its players. More importantly, it can also bring hope, inspiration, and national pride to a nation of people surrounded by poverty.
What price Bangladesh as world champions in one format of the game by 2050 ?
