Sohel
February 22, 2008, 11:41 PM
Mohammad Ashraful Matin is simply the best batsman we’ve produced to date in Bangladesh, period. He’s also a pretty good captain even at this early age. He is aggressive and his subsequently aggressive field-setting helped Shahadat Hossain and Mohammad Rafique make things happen during the course of Day 1 at the SBNS.
The current generation of players led by him - irrespective of the annoying nostalgia for the ICC trophy years which tends to paint the soundness of some of our judgment when they fail to perform – is several cuts above those who battled the likes of Hong Kong, Uganda, Holland, Scotland and Kenya to get us here.
With the possible exception of Raquibul Hassan, Daulat Zaman, Nazrul Quader Lintu, Yusuf Babu, Minhazul Abedin Nannu, Aminul Islam Bulbul, Mehrab Hossain Opi and Khaled Mashud Pilot at their peak, I doubt any one of the older generation players will perform any better than any one of the guys playing for the senior side at this moment.
Having said that, they all have issues applying their abilities in the middle when it comes to the highest level. In spite of his superior talent and technique, Mohammad Ashraful Matin is no exception to that rule at this juncture in our cricket culture.
Instead of the usual panic-stricken desire to constantly substitute X, Y, Z for A, B, C and keep our fingers crossed for these short-term, band-aid 'solutions' to deliver 'honorable defeats', perhaps we’d be better off looking at how to avoid the jodi laigga jay mindset and do what is necessary. We haven’t done that seriously enough as a test cricketing nation, and look where it has gotten us so far!
The trouble is most of our talented young players are still years away for International maturity, psychologically and in some cases technically.
Question: How do we deal with failure while we continue to develop a process where our talented players in the future can properly harness their talent through extensive domestic FC, Academy and A-team exposure, and make sustainable debuts in their late 20s?
One answer: By being patient as the current batch learns on the job under the guidance of good coaches, that’s how! That’s exactly what’s happening now.
Now I’m just as heartbroken to watch our beloved Ash failing to lead with bat by repeatedly giving his wicket away, but I still fail to see an alternative to us fans just dealing with it until he learns to build the type of innings he is EASILY capable of building before his compulsions get the better of him. His compulsions are just as stupid as are some of our overly emotional calls for his head at this stage, and it may be wise to remember that before letting our often counterproductive emotions run wild.
It is ugly to look at our batsmen poking-about outside their off-stump or struggling to go past the 30-run mark consistently, but that is just the way it is until they become wise and old enough to do what is necessary and learn to stop being stupid. I don’t have the cosmic fast-forward button that can take me 7 to 10 years forward through time. So, I simply bite the bullet and it’s OK.
For all future prospects, BCB needs a disciplined system so that talented and hardworking players like Alok Kapali, Nafees Iqbal, Talha Jubair, Imrul Kayes, Rokibul Hassan, Dhiman Ghosh, Tapash Baisya, Mehrab Hossain Jr, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Nazmus Sadat, Abul Bashar, Suman Saha, Imtiaz Hossain, Mohammad Nazimuddin, Mohammad Mahmudullah Riyad, Mosharraf Hossain Rubel, Golam Rahman, Ghazi Salahuddin, Ehsanul Haq, Golam Mabud, Mohammad Shahzada, Ziaur Rahman, Shaju Datta, and the current batch of U19 heroes can develop through a proper system and become successful International players. This is the overall system I’d like to see for them and all those yet to come: -
(Stage 1 or the Start) School Cricket/ Community Cricket > (Stage 2) Club Cricket/ U19 Cricket > (Stage 3) Domestic FC and List-A Cricket > (Stage 4) Academy Cricket > (Stage 5) A-team Cricket > (Stage 6 or the Finish) International Cricket.
Also, I don’t know why coaches are not given the responsibility to scout, select and develop players as per their requirements in cricket. Coaches are ultimately responsible for selecting players in all successful professional sports such as the MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA in the U.S and the EPL and other leagues in Europe, and that’s exactly what we need to do for all levels and versions of our cricket. We haven’t to date, and have managed to play more players going through the revolving door of arbitrary selection than actual test matches played. No more dubious and alga matobbori from Omuk Chacha, Tomuk Mama or adorable Biriyani brothers of the moment and their questionable 'systems' PLEASE!
BCB needs to have the NCL-level coaches scout, select and develop what they need in order to be successful. BCB needs to empower them with well-trained talent scouts and specialized coaches and set them up for success. Once they do and because they may, so will our cricketers and cricket in the process.
Anyway, the net result of all of the perpetual crisis management has been more than predictable. Instability creates more problems than it solves, no matter how good short-term ideas that create the instability look at the time. Frustration, anger and panic are intoxicants which like all intoxicants, seriously impair judgment and make us go to bed with the wrong idea. BCB and some of our fans have had too many of such ‘morning afters’ but continue ending up with half-baked ideas which ‘looked good at the time’. Time to wise up.
Keeping the aforementioned processes in mind, I’d also like to look at the basic issues faced by our players at the highest level: -
1. Batting: a) Loss of focus and poor shot selection, b) poor footwork and lack of sustainable and compact, straight batted, fundamental technique, and c) inability to cope with the inherent pressures of International cricket and compete.
2. Bowling: a) Loss of focus and subsequent loose deliveries bowled away from the set field, at least once or twice per over, b) occasionally poor biomechanics better suited to crappy local pitches, and c) inability to cope with the inherent pressures of International cricket and compete delivery after delivery, over after over and finally, spell after spell.
How do we deal with the aforementioned issues we know too well? I suggest the following: -
1. More domestic FC and List A Cricket: The best way learn to play the game and improve overall quality over time is by actually playing the game as much as possible. We don’t play enough of the longer versions of the sport and it shows. We simply have too many batsmen who don’t know how to build a good innings, or bowlers who can take wickets AND 'contain' the opposition with equal application. The NCL needs to reformat itself and play 15/10s instead of the current 10/10s. Players should be scouted and selected by coaches and well-compensated with attractive performance incentives. Incentives attractive enough to make club cricket secondary. Keeping International Cricket in mind for our players, some of the wickets should be sporting wickets with premeditated variety. NCL should also be properly coached, marketed, merchandized and televised. Technical issues should be sternly addressed here first by qualified and specialized batting, bowling and fielding coaches.
2. More A-team Cricket: Given the qualitative discrepancy between our domestic cricket and the highest level, only EXTENSIVE exposure to regularly scheduled A-team Cricket, provided the selected players have also performed well at the Academy level, can help our players make the better, more sustainable transition to International Cricket. Technical issues should get the final touches here by qualified and specialized batting, bowling and fielding coaches.
3. Sports Psychologist and Motivator for the Senior Team PERMANENTLY: This individual and his team should be available 24/7 and be empowered to schedule regular one-on-ones, group sessions and events and processes which build individual confidence team cohesion.
Same old song stuck inside an endless loop.
The current generation of players led by him - irrespective of the annoying nostalgia for the ICC trophy years which tends to paint the soundness of some of our judgment when they fail to perform – is several cuts above those who battled the likes of Hong Kong, Uganda, Holland, Scotland and Kenya to get us here.
With the possible exception of Raquibul Hassan, Daulat Zaman, Nazrul Quader Lintu, Yusuf Babu, Minhazul Abedin Nannu, Aminul Islam Bulbul, Mehrab Hossain Opi and Khaled Mashud Pilot at their peak, I doubt any one of the older generation players will perform any better than any one of the guys playing for the senior side at this moment.
Having said that, they all have issues applying their abilities in the middle when it comes to the highest level. In spite of his superior talent and technique, Mohammad Ashraful Matin is no exception to that rule at this juncture in our cricket culture.
Instead of the usual panic-stricken desire to constantly substitute X, Y, Z for A, B, C and keep our fingers crossed for these short-term, band-aid 'solutions' to deliver 'honorable defeats', perhaps we’d be better off looking at how to avoid the jodi laigga jay mindset and do what is necessary. We haven’t done that seriously enough as a test cricketing nation, and look where it has gotten us so far!
The trouble is most of our talented young players are still years away for International maturity, psychologically and in some cases technically.
Question: How do we deal with failure while we continue to develop a process where our talented players in the future can properly harness their talent through extensive domestic FC, Academy and A-team exposure, and make sustainable debuts in their late 20s?
One answer: By being patient as the current batch learns on the job under the guidance of good coaches, that’s how! That’s exactly what’s happening now.
Now I’m just as heartbroken to watch our beloved Ash failing to lead with bat by repeatedly giving his wicket away, but I still fail to see an alternative to us fans just dealing with it until he learns to build the type of innings he is EASILY capable of building before his compulsions get the better of him. His compulsions are just as stupid as are some of our overly emotional calls for his head at this stage, and it may be wise to remember that before letting our often counterproductive emotions run wild.
It is ugly to look at our batsmen poking-about outside their off-stump or struggling to go past the 30-run mark consistently, but that is just the way it is until they become wise and old enough to do what is necessary and learn to stop being stupid. I don’t have the cosmic fast-forward button that can take me 7 to 10 years forward through time. So, I simply bite the bullet and it’s OK.
For all future prospects, BCB needs a disciplined system so that talented and hardworking players like Alok Kapali, Nafees Iqbal, Talha Jubair, Imrul Kayes, Rokibul Hassan, Dhiman Ghosh, Tapash Baisya, Mehrab Hossain Jr, Nazmul Hossain Milon, Nazmus Sadat, Abul Bashar, Suman Saha, Imtiaz Hossain, Mohammad Nazimuddin, Mohammad Mahmudullah Riyad, Mosharraf Hossain Rubel, Golam Rahman, Ghazi Salahuddin, Ehsanul Haq, Golam Mabud, Mohammad Shahzada, Ziaur Rahman, Shaju Datta, and the current batch of U19 heroes can develop through a proper system and become successful International players. This is the overall system I’d like to see for them and all those yet to come: -
(Stage 1 or the Start) School Cricket/ Community Cricket > (Stage 2) Club Cricket/ U19 Cricket > (Stage 3) Domestic FC and List-A Cricket > (Stage 4) Academy Cricket > (Stage 5) A-team Cricket > (Stage 6 or the Finish) International Cricket.
Also, I don’t know why coaches are not given the responsibility to scout, select and develop players as per their requirements in cricket. Coaches are ultimately responsible for selecting players in all successful professional sports such as the MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA in the U.S and the EPL and other leagues in Europe, and that’s exactly what we need to do for all levels and versions of our cricket. We haven’t to date, and have managed to play more players going through the revolving door of arbitrary selection than actual test matches played. No more dubious and alga matobbori from Omuk Chacha, Tomuk Mama or adorable Biriyani brothers of the moment and their questionable 'systems' PLEASE!
BCB needs to have the NCL-level coaches scout, select and develop what they need in order to be successful. BCB needs to empower them with well-trained talent scouts and specialized coaches and set them up for success. Once they do and because they may, so will our cricketers and cricket in the process.
Anyway, the net result of all of the perpetual crisis management has been more than predictable. Instability creates more problems than it solves, no matter how good short-term ideas that create the instability look at the time. Frustration, anger and panic are intoxicants which like all intoxicants, seriously impair judgment and make us go to bed with the wrong idea. BCB and some of our fans have had too many of such ‘morning afters’ but continue ending up with half-baked ideas which ‘looked good at the time’. Time to wise up.
Keeping the aforementioned processes in mind, I’d also like to look at the basic issues faced by our players at the highest level: -
1. Batting: a) Loss of focus and poor shot selection, b) poor footwork and lack of sustainable and compact, straight batted, fundamental technique, and c) inability to cope with the inherent pressures of International cricket and compete.
2. Bowling: a) Loss of focus and subsequent loose deliveries bowled away from the set field, at least once or twice per over, b) occasionally poor biomechanics better suited to crappy local pitches, and c) inability to cope with the inherent pressures of International cricket and compete delivery after delivery, over after over and finally, spell after spell.
How do we deal with the aforementioned issues we know too well? I suggest the following: -
1. More domestic FC and List A Cricket: The best way learn to play the game and improve overall quality over time is by actually playing the game as much as possible. We don’t play enough of the longer versions of the sport and it shows. We simply have too many batsmen who don’t know how to build a good innings, or bowlers who can take wickets AND 'contain' the opposition with equal application. The NCL needs to reformat itself and play 15/10s instead of the current 10/10s. Players should be scouted and selected by coaches and well-compensated with attractive performance incentives. Incentives attractive enough to make club cricket secondary. Keeping International Cricket in mind for our players, some of the wickets should be sporting wickets with premeditated variety. NCL should also be properly coached, marketed, merchandized and televised. Technical issues should be sternly addressed here first by qualified and specialized batting, bowling and fielding coaches.
2. More A-team Cricket: Given the qualitative discrepancy between our domestic cricket and the highest level, only EXTENSIVE exposure to regularly scheduled A-team Cricket, provided the selected players have also performed well at the Academy level, can help our players make the better, more sustainable transition to International Cricket. Technical issues should get the final touches here by qualified and specialized batting, bowling and fielding coaches.
3. Sports Psychologist and Motivator for the Senior Team PERMANENTLY: This individual and his team should be available 24/7 and be empowered to schedule regular one-on-ones, group sessions and events and processes which build individual confidence team cohesion.
Same old song stuck inside an endless loop.