Long term plan pays off
Image : Cricfrenzy
|| CF Correspondent ||
Bangladesh will be eyeing to reap the benefit of long-term planning as they prepare for their maiden appearance in the ICC Under-19 World Cup final against India at the Senwes Park, Potchefstroom on February 8.
Bangladesh game development chairman Khaled Mahmud told Cricfrenzy.com said on Saturday that they will be happy with any outcome in the final as they feel at least now they have realized that goals can be achieved if there is proper long-term plan in place.
"For years we knew we aren't any lesser than the big national teams, but now we have proof in the form of results. We [BCB] have also learnt that if we give what the players need, they can do wonders,’’ said Mahmud, known to be at the forefront of that planning that took place after their quarter-final loss at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup.
"We can develop future teams from this template. The women's team, other Under-19s, senior teams - each of them. Win or lose the final, we won't let our successes be determined by one result on the cricket field. Even if they don't win, I won't be unhappy. You should see how the country got boosted by their performances. We are a very small country, with little facilities, and the way they have played their cricket, we are very happy,’’ said Mahmud.
Mahmud, the former national skipper, added that they knew they were determined to stick with their plan till the ICC Under-19 World Cup with a core group of cricketers and decided to give them maximum exposure abroad during the time frame to make sure they are well prepared to take the challenge in foreign land.
"The BCB has arranged so many tours - England and New Zealand for starters. We played 30-plus games, won 18 of them.
"We didn't chop and change the squad for the last two years. From an Under-17 team in 2018, we selected a set of 20 players, from where we've picked the 15. Being together, they've matured and learnt their roles in depth.
"The switch happened last World Cup after realizing that we were losing matches due to our inexperience in key moments. We didn't bowl and bat well in the final overs. So when we appointed [former Sri Lanka batsman] Naveed Nawaz as the coach, we made foreign tours a priority and we made the board understand if we don't play overseas, the team will be stuck at a level and BCB supported us.
The first thing the team needed was more experience away from home. The second was a core group that stayed the same through the period.
"We didn't chop and change the squad for the last two years. From an Under-17 team in 2018, we selected a set of 20 players, from where we've picked the 15. Being together, they've matured and learnt their roles in depth.
"The switch happened last World Cup after realizing that we were losing matches due to our inexperience in key moments. We didn't bowl and bat well in the final overs. So when we appointed [former Sri Lanka batsman] Naveed Nawaz as the coach, we made foreign tours a priority. We made the board understand if we don't play overseas, the team will be stuck at a level. The board said, 'no, we'll support you,’’ he said.
Bangladesh have been known as a unit that crumbles when the occasion is big and according to Mahmud it was an area they emphasized the most while drafting their plan of action.
"The main secret to our success is that we have played so much cricket. Mental strength has come from two years' practice. Because we couldn't arrange a tour of South Africa in 2018 and 2019, we came to this country a month before the tournament. The bounce of the wickets was a bit high, so we took our time to get used to it. We played four practice games even before the warm-ups,’’ he said.
"Even though they've won a lot of games, they have picked up lessons from their losses.
