World Cup 2007 : A new approach

Beamer · #1 October 11, 2006, 03:27 PM

After watching the latest episode of controlled implosion against WI in a crucial tie to qualify into the main tournament, a devout fan like me and many others can't help but wonder why are we repeating the same mistakes. Despite having the resources available better than other sports brethern in the country, the cricket team is continuing to present us the same inconsistencies that has plagued us through out our elevation to elite status. No doubt, we have made progress in the last few years. We have beaten some elite teams and went ahead of fellow minnows like Kenya and Zimbabwe. But, that is hardly a consolation when we aspire to be among the elite eight of intl cricketing order. I will solely focus on our one day team in this article with World Cup coming soon in the future and no test matches scheduled for the next six months.

Captaincy : It is time for Bangladesh to find a new captain for the one day team. Bashar has zero tactical acumen. For a young team like Bangladesh, a dynamic pro-active captain is more necessary than an established power house team. Warne may be a better leadership material than Ponting but it hardly matters in the grand scheme of Aussie juggernaut, full of world beaters and seasoned pros. We can't afford that luxury. Each saved runs, each wkt taken- matter more to us than any other team. Bashar is a creature of habit and has a very rigid mind set. He is not prone to any change. Every thing seems to be scripted even before a single ball is bowled. All his fielding patterns, power play employment etc.points to a man who either follows the script or simply is not able to see the game as it unfolds and react accordingly. On top of that, he is a less than adequate one day batsman and even worse, a liability at no.5, where he has been batting recently. His one day record is nothing to right home about. For some one who has played 70+ one days with no century and a 21 avg, is someone who would not merit a spot in a line -up.

Time up for the older generation : It was a good move to replace Javed Omar from the one day team. Simmilar fate has to be dealt to Mashud. If this is not the right time to bring in a wkt keeper batsman, then I don't know when it is? Mushfiqur rahim is the first choice and he has to be drafted in.To be competetive in World cricket these days, you need a wkt keeper who is also a batsman by his own right who can bat anywhere up the order. Why is England and WI are not in the class of other one day teams? Answer : Unsettled wkt keeping position. They don't have quality batsman- wkt keeper and have to play with either one less batsman or a bowler. We,as a struggling team, can least afford to have a ageing wkt keeper pretending to bat no.7. Rahim is a top order bat and lets give him the chance to settle down. Lets be frank : Bashar and Pilot would not bring us the World Cup anyway. We have to wipe the slate clean. These two have served us well but should not be in the picture any more in the one day team. Younger replacements have better upswing and we have to afford them every chance to settle in. Rafiq should not be considered as an automatic choice either. To me, Razzak is the no.1 spinner in the one day team now. If we need two spinners for a given match, only then, Rafiq should be considered as the second spinner. If we are in need of a third pacer, it is Rafiq who should be replaced and not Razzak. Rafiq's famous willow has also rotten to the core with age related diminished eye sight. I would like to see an entire new mindset with replacements for the two mentioned ,starting with the winter series against Zimbabwe and leading up to the World Cup. A lot of criticism will be dished out for this measures but one have to see the picture ahead and realize forward thinking is required. There is every chance that some of the newly drafted in players will fail. But, that is to be expectated. Trial and errors will occur, but at least with the younger players the door is never shut , and they can always come back after a while . The decline of our three stalwarts in Bashar, Rafiq and Pilot are unfortunately irreversable.

Fresh new line up for ODI team :

No 1 : Shahriar Nafees - He is here to stay. I will make him the captain of the one day team. You never know how good he will become unless he is given the oppurtunity. He should be a given a broad period of time to settle in regardless of wins and losses.

No 2 : Meharab Hossain - He is the first choice. We may have to continue searching for this spot until we are sure. They all have to be from the younger generation. Looking back to Javed Omar is not the answer. Rajin, Nafis Iqbal, Nazmus Sadat and few others should be in the running. We should always keep three openers in every future squad.

No 3 : Aftab Ahmed - The boy is prodigious. We have to stay with him through thick and thin and as long as it requires.

No 4 : Mohammad Ashraful - He stil is the best option we have at no.4. Opening with him is a big mistake. I don't know what was the thinking behind his promotion. He failed before while opening. Most of our match winning knocks came off Ashraful batting from the anchor position at no.4. He is going through a bad time mentally on the pitch. I have faith in his abilities and hoping he wil flourish for us. He can milk the middle overs better than anyone, provided he is in the right state of mind. Put him back in his comfort zone and hope he will work his way out of this wretheched spell. He should not be dropped unless someone in the domestics or the "A" team is doing better than him in that position consistently.

No 5 : Sakib Hassan - Batting allrounder with upswing. Better option than Bashar at no.5, a spot, that is meant for quick runners and improvisers. Bashar is neither. If you close all the gaps with the spread field, Bashar will not produce minus his cuts and pulls batting at no.5.

No 6 : Mushfiqur Rahim - Need a solid batsman wkt keeper. With performance, if he succeeds, may be one day he can move up to no.4 with Ash and Sakib dropping one spot respectively. We have to create a batsman-wkt keeper if we want to find the right balance. We have to give him the oppurtunity to find his feet.

No 7 : Forhad Reza - Batting allrounder. He can provide the quick runs when needed unlike Mashud. One has to accelerate from that position. If we argue for the value of Pilot in case the batting up front collapses, then I am afraid, we are standing on losing cause anyway. We have to hope that the top order will do their job collectively so no.7 can come and do what is required- score quick runs.

No 8 : Mashrafe Mortaza- Best pacer we have. Period.

No 9 : Abdur Razzak - He is the first choice spinner for the one day team.

No 10 : Shahadat Hossain - He should play before Rasel every game. How else he is supposed to learn if he doesn't play? He has what Rasel doesn't- pace.

No 11 : Syed Rasel - if we need to go with three pacers he will come in place of Rafiq and not Razzak.

Mohd Rafiq is still in the picture. If we need an extra spinner than he will come into the squad before Rasel, and off course, he will bat ahead of Shahadat and Razzak.

Lets give this squad the full support with future in mind. They will not win the World Cup for us, but in time, maybe and maybe they will transform into a fighting one day squad with youngsters running the show under a different captain from the new generation. If we fail, at least, we gave our newer blood the chance to succeed. The longer the younger players play under Bashar, the worse they would collectively be in their maturation process. I firmly believe that. New approach can filter through out the sqaud. Cricket is unlike any sport where a captain actually can make the difference. With Bashar- it is "indifference" that describes him. His approach is static and uninspiring. He doesn't demand. He doesn't take responsibilty. He bats the way he thinks is right regardless of the situation. Why isn't he removed from the one day team one might ask? Hey, If Steve Waugh can be replaced from the one day team, who is Bashar, need I ask?

6alltheway · #2 October 11, 2006, 03:43 PM

until we get a new coach, new bowling specialist, and batting specialsit, now matter how u change the line-up the results are gonna stay the same.

al Furqaan · #3 October 11, 2006, 03:53 PM

i like it...

FaridpurChicago · #4 October 11, 2006, 03:53 PM

I agree with all the names except one. You said about Bashar's 70+ matches with 21 avg. Ash has 77 matches with 20 avg.
Please, don't be biased. This is one of the reasons of our dismal showing. We hate the selectors for being blind to some people; at least we the fans need to keep our eyes open, hearts unbiased.

Otherwise everything else you wrote is perfect. Players who haven't learned after playing so many matches (Ash, Bash, Pilot) will never learn. Let's try to give some exposure to others. At least play 'Jodi Laigya Jay' style of our players since we have nothing to lose.

MarufH · #5 October 11, 2006, 03:55 PM

Very well written.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6alltheway
until we get a new coach, new bowling specialist, and batting specialsit, now matter how u change the line-up the results are gonna stay the same.

I do agree with you too!

Rubu · #6 October 11, 2006, 03:56 PM

1. about bashar: agree completely.
2. mushfiq: I don't know he is ready yet. but worth trying instead of pilot.
3. rajjak over rafique: disagree. rafique is still better than him by a distance and his age won't make him unfit for the WC anyhow, not to mention we have enamul who is a better spinner (without batting ability) and of course your 'step brother' rana who I also believe a better spinner than rajjak.

LINEUP:
1. agree
2. (don't know who will suit) - to me rajin is already proven, and should be in the lineup if not opening.
3. aftab: agree
4. ash: I hate to say, I agree. I think he gets something similar to pms and that is the only time he plays. now, if WC is not matched with that he is a barden. but if it does match, he is the best.

agree to the rest with the exception: I'll play 2 spinners and not 3 pacers. if mehrub is fit in the opening, I'll get rajin in place of forhad or shakib. we do want a new team, but not a brand new elementary batch. rajin is young too, but at the same time has experience.

The most important thing is, this team has to be formed within couple of months and keep going from there. they need to built in as a team.

Fazal · #7 October 11, 2006, 03:57 PM

I cannot believe that more or less I agree with you. What a surprise.!!! But wait a minute.

Except of Ash. I know Ash has lots of talent ... I know Ash is young ... I know Ash should be part of the future plan.... but I also know Ash is off form.
So I tend to disagree a lit bit. He should only be condiered, if he regain his form back by playing in Doemstic league and in any future team-a game, warm up games against national team. After all of these he shouldn't be automatic choice for WC 2007. He should be only selected if he can prove his current worth playing good in lower level. No more Free Dudu Bathu for Ash any more, atleast not in my team.

Otherwise I agree.

Beamer · #8 October 11, 2006, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FaridpurChicago
I agree with all the names except one. You said about Bashar's 70+ matches with 21 avg. Ash has 77 matches with 20 avg.
Please, don't be biased. This is one of the reasons of our dismal showing. We hate the selectors for being blind to some people; at least we the fans need to keep our eyes open, hearts unbiased.

Otherwise everything else you wrote is perfect. Players who haven't learned after playing so many matches (Ash, Bash, Pilot) will never learn. Let's try to give some exposure to others. At least play 'Jodi Laigya Jay' style of our players since we have nothing to lose.

Age is the principal factor here. He is not 34. He drives me mad like evrybody else. Still, in my mind, he is the best no.4 we have ever had. So, I simply insist that he is brought back to no.4 spot. That is not a permanent situation. If he doesn't come through , we have to think about an alternative, some one who is used to playing no.4 and can do well in his place. Thats all. No spot is permanent for ever. My thinking is to give the new guys ample time to form a team. Maybe they can learn to win, unlike the older players who can't learn anything at this age.

Beamer · #9 October 11, 2006, 04:10 PM

rubu..Stil haven't forgotten the forgotten rana? Miss those days.

Agree that Rafiq is still better than Razzak, but he is closing the gap soon. Rafiq is not axed rather he walks in as the second spinner. Sure, he can be kept till the world cup and after that only tests, till he retires ( same with Bashar..though he has to go now from the one day team ).

MarufH · #10 October 11, 2006, 04:17 PM

My team...

S. Nafees (Cap)
Mehrab Jnr
Aftab
Saqib
Rajin
Farhad
Mushfique
Rafique
Mashrafe
Razzaq
Shahadat

Perhaps SN should be the captain from now on. Bashar, after today, should retire from ODI cricket. Mehrab Jnr should be our 1st choice unless he fails badly. No more playing with Ash career. Let him play at no. 4 or never call him back. Rajin will be the backbone on no. 5. Play Shahadat for sure! because he is much much better bawler than Rassel. Nowadays, when we have Saqib, we don't need another medium pacer.

CricFanBD · #11 October 11, 2006, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blazinmaruf
My team...

S. Nafees (Cap)
Mehrab Jnr
Aftab
Saqib
Rajin
Farhad
Mushfique
Rafique
Mashrafe
Razzaq
Shahadat

I feel very happy to see that you don't include Pilot.

al Furqaan · #12 October 11, 2006, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FaridpurChicago
I agree with all the names except one. You said about Bashar's 70+ matches with 21 avg. Ash has 77 matches with 20 avg.
Please, don't be biased. This is one of the reasons of our dismal showing. We hate the selectors for being blind to some people; at least we the fans need to keep our eyes open, hearts unbiased.

Otherwise everything else you wrote is perfect. Players who haven't learned after playing so many matches (Ash, Bash, Pilot) will never learn. Let's try to give some exposure to others. At least play 'Jodi Laigya Jay' style of our players since we have nothing to lose.

ash has the 100, bashar's top score is 74, they have roughly the same number of 50s, ash has a significantly higher SR. and most importantly as beamer bhai mentioned, ash is 10 years younger.

yes there is a bias towards ashraful. but that is due to his undeniable talent and the fact that he has done what no one else has: provide dominant match-winning efforts against world class opposition (key words in bold). the only other players who even come close to ashraful in this regard are in order, rafique (in Tests), mashrafee, SN, and aftab. and only aftab and mash have won us matches, but neither of them blew the opposition away, they just had rock solid performances.

ashraful's numbers are no shabbier than JO's or tushar's or alok's or rokon's. but he must get the benefit of the doubt which they didn't because of his talent. if we dispose of him, we could be losing the greatest talent in world cricket in 20 years. by contrast we lost JO, tushar, alok, and rokon and no one cared or noticed. thats the difference, and that is why ash needs extra chances. because the stakes are too high.

Kabir · #13 October 11, 2006, 10:22 PM

Have you ever wondered why our team does well in Under-19 matches against strong opponents? It's because both teams have players of similar age! Trust me...you want another proof? Here in Toronto, our brand new Bangla Cricket Club team (BanglaCC) played 5 year old teams with players that average similar in age in a qualifying tournament. BanglaCC won the tournament...surprised? I'll tell you why.

In WI and SL...how many players are under 22 like many (if not a majority) of our players?

I agree with most of Beamer's lineup. Just one question. Isn't the new team with potentially 3/4 relatively new players gonna be more prone to errors? We can't think of new guys before World Cup, neither can we go with worthless stubborn ones like Bashar. Very disturbing.

rudro · #14 October 11, 2006, 10:25 PM

Looks like everyone has their own opinion. Why not BC act as a shadow BCB? Let us have our own selection panel. I propose the following names:
Beamer (chair)
Fazal
Spit_fire
Thewatcher

(Sorry, Rubu and Tigers_eye, I needed some balance)

Kabir · #15 October 11, 2006, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by al Furqaan
ashraful's numbers are no shabbier than JO's or tushar's or alok's or rokon's. but he must get the benefit of the doubt which they didn't because of his talent. if we dispose of him, we could be losing the greatest talent in world cricket in 20 years. by contrast we lost JO, tushar, alok, and rokon and no one cared or noticed. thats the difference, and that is why ash needs extra chances. because the stakes are too high.

I'll add one more thing al Furqaan bhai. Ashraful has more experience than Bashar in ODIs, even though he's 10 years younger. He's a talent...we shouldn't doubt it. All he needs is the right spot in the lineup...#4.

Beamer · #16 October 11, 2006, 10:36 PM

al furqaan : I was looking for something along the line to say what you just said about Ashraful and the other core guys ( Aftab, Mash and Aftab ). I couldn't have said it any better. You are correct 100%.

Kabir : Yes. That many new players will probably account for mistakes. But, what is the alternative? We won't win the world cup with the likes of Bashar, pilot etc. So, its better to do what we will have to do in a year or two. Pilot would have been kicked out if not for Bashar breaking his finger in Zimbabwe. let me remind you that. They are already thinking of axing him and I don't blame them. These guys would not improve any more. Once you hit a certain age, you aredone...

rudro : shadow selection. interesting..

Kabir · #17 October 11, 2006, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beamer
Kabir : Yes. That many new players will probably account for mistakes. But, what is the alternative? We won't win the world cup with the likes of Bashar, pilot etc. So, its better to do what we will have to do in a year or two. Pilot would have been kicked out if not for Bashar breaking his finger in Zimbabwe. let me remind you that. They are already thinking of axing him and I don't blame them. These guys would not improve any more. Once you hit a certain age, you aredone...

Beamer...I see your point...and I think I agree on that too. And technically speaking, what worse could happen? Losing against WI by 10 wickets in an international match. Ouch.

Yes. Bashar & Pilot will not improve anymore. No questions asked. I guess that's one of the reasons why we should give Ashraful some chances? At this age, he might still have about 10+ years of career ahead of him? And the World Cup 2011 (in the sub-continent) is probably the only time when we may expect to see some mature players in our squad? Until then, we have to be patient with these young boys.

PoorFan · #18 October 12, 2006, 12:31 AM

Beamer, I like to see your team playing right from the next series. What we experienced yesterday as well as in safari tour, current line up will definitely bring us another embarrassing WC. What's the point playing Bashar, Pilot, Rafiq if we have continuous embarrassment each series we play? even against team like Zim and Kenya?

Better we play all young players and let them learn from the field. This team should start from coming home series against Zmbo, and go on ( axe oldies ) in to WC. We may lose badly in the middle, but only Bashar, Pilot, Rafiq cant make a big difference ( as we can see from recent matches ). Rather play with those who are there for future, and can learn from the field. All of them ( oldies ) could be considerable for test if needed. Even Rafiq should step down from ODI offering his place to his fellow young.

One more thing, we also need to 'release' our coach as soon as possible ( no choice till WC ), also current selectors should step down for a drastic change both in team and management. Hoping BCB officials are going to be changed after election anyway. it's not about who's fault but, changing / new environment and atmosphere in BD cricket.

Tintin · #19 October 12, 2006, 12:56 AM

Agree with pretty much everything but

Quote:

Fresh new line up for ODI team :

But who will be the captain ? The more I see Bangladesh bat, the more it feels that the absence of a good leader is THE problem. Unless a captain of the Rantunga-Ganguly-Imran sort appears from somewhere, we'll all be quite old before BD becomes a major team.

rafiq · #20 October 12, 2006, 01:28 AM

Beamer, Tintin has a point. Bashar is no leader as we had suspected all along and clearly his fate is sealed. But none of these 21 yeard old boys may have what it takes. We lack a core group of experienced-but-not-over-the-top players. Rajin Saleh could have been an option but he can't get into the playing side.

It's sad to see Bashar's situation these days, there was a time when he carried the team. And although Mushofiq will strengthen the batting over Pilot, I think the lack of experience will prevent all the old timers getting dropped at once. The man who I do agree could sit is Rafique, our bowling is redundant and I simply can't get over how our best bowling prospects - Shahadat and Enamul Jr cannot get into the playing 11.

You know very well that the selectors don't have the guts to make wholesale changes before the World Cup. They are not going to drop either Bashar or Ashraful and certainly not Pilot as well. Rastai michil ber hole maybe they can think about it, but even then it is doubtful. I think we will see the changing of the guard after the WC.

roaring tigerz · #21 October 12, 2006, 01:57 AM

This search for scapegoats really is counter-productive. So you want Mehrab Hosain in the team? His whole inclusion is based on his performance in a couple of A team games and age group level performances. He hasn't played a single ODI game yet. Why are you so sure that he will be our savior at the opening position? We have enough young players in the team already. If he has to make way, it has to be in place of Sakib or Farhad's place or more likely in Ashraful's position.

Don't forget that Bashar has been one of our more consistent ODI performers right before he got injured. Two ducks does not change any of that.

Yes, Ashraful deserves to be left out. I would attribute his problems more to psychological factors than anything skill-based. If Ashraful is left out now, he should not be picked for the World Cup team at all. But, if he has to play in the World Cup, Ashraful has to be persisted with. The best bet for him to regain some form and confidence, is playing against easier opposition, i.e, Zimbabwe and Scotland. If given a few more chances he still doesn't perform, the decision should be automatic.

It would also be suicidal to replace Mashud at this juncture. Mushfiq has simply not done enough to suggest he deserves to replace Mashud. And when most of our top order has batting average similar to Mashud, pointing him out is absolutely unjustified. Mushfiq's time will come.

The core of this team should stay together in the next few months. This team has shown enough positives to suggest that they could be a good one day unit. To bring out consistent performances, there needs to be consistency within the team itself. There also has to be some patience on our part.

billah · #22 October 12, 2006, 02:34 AM

Beamer: Start with the biryani destroyer..the rest looks fine.

I don't know how to tell you guys this, but it came from a core batsman of the old Sri Lanka team: He said, Dav did what he had to do, but the 4-5 of the senior team members, we ran the show. We made decisions, even trained ourselves. Dav has the basic coaching skills, but it's not him that inspired us to win the WC.

We've got to remember, Dav had all these natural born killer (with the bat) at his diposal in Sri Lanka. We have no such hitters yet. Besides, so far, Dav has failed to teach our kids the few basics of shot selection. He also failed to give our batsmen a modus-operendi during a batting collapse. These are the facts.

Start at the head. That's where the rot begins.

sadi · #23 October 12, 2006, 04:29 AM

Nice post Beamer. But got to agree with Billah. It has to start from the top but not now. We can't make a wholesale change now just before the world cup. So Dav stays, and like it or not Pilot and Bashar stays.

I am sure the selectors are thinking along the same line but waiting for the world cup before they make such a drastic decision. Bashar should come up the order and bat at number 4. I would really like to see him at number 3 but since Aftab has been doing so well there, I guess thats not possible right now. Forhad is a good batsman but not a number six. He looks like a number seven to me. So, we can put Mehrab into the fold for the next game with Ash coming down the order. So, here is my lineup for the next game:

SN
Mehrab
Aftab
Bashar
Sakib
Ash
Forhad
Mashrafee
Pilot
Razzak
Shahadat

Rafique is not dropped but rather its a stratergic move since we need more batsman in the lineup. Forhad, Sakib, Mehrab and Aftab should be able bowl 20 overs for us.

Btw, after the world cup, your lineup looks great and should be persisted with.

Beamer · #24 October 12, 2006, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tintin
Agree with pretty much everything but

But who will be the captain ? The more I see Bangladesh bat, the more it feels that the absence of a good leader is THE problem. Unless a captain of the Rantunga-Ganguly-Imran sort appears from somewhere, we'll all be quite old before BD becomes a major team.

Exactly my point. Despite being the senior most member among the batsmen, Bashar is hardly the bastman that can inspire and guide the younger batsman in a one day game. We are not talking tests here( he is pretty good test batsman ) , just ODI, and he is a bad ODI batsman to begin with and even worse a captain. I would promote Nafees to be the one day captain. They have identified him as the future captain. So, why not take over the charge of the one day team now? That will also prepare him better for the test job down the years. He may or may not be good captaincy material, but we will not find out unless he is given the chance to show his stuff. He won't learn anything being Bashar's understudy. I tell you that much. If he is not what they think he is, then I guess, we have to keep searching. Its better than Bashar playing capatin.

Beamer · #25 October 12, 2006, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rafiq
Beamer, Tintin has a point. Bashar is no leader as we had suspected all along and clearly his fate is sealed. But none of these 21 yeard old boys may have what it takes. We lack a core group of experienced-but-not-over-the-top players. Rajin Saleh could have been an option but he can't get into the playing side.

It's sad to see Bashar's situation these days, there was a time when he carried the team. And although Mushofiq will strengthen the batting over Pilot, I think the lack of experience will prevent all the old timers getting dropped at once. The man who I do agree could sit is Rafique, our bowling is redundant and I simply can't get over how our best bowling prospects - Shahadat and Enamul Jr cannot get into the playing 11.

You know very well that the selectors don't have the guts to make wholesale changes before the World Cup. They are not going to drop either Bashar or Ashraful and certainly not Pilot as well. Rastai michil ber hole maybe they can think about it, but even then it is doubtful. I think we will see the changing of the guard after the WC.

Yes. I know very well that it would not happen. Selectors are buddies of older players from their playing time and won't take the tough action needed to promote and protect the nations interest. That goes without saying. The changing of the guard has to begin with a new set of selectors, a new coach with a fresh tough attitude and a new captain who will react on the field and be aggressive. Put aside the win-loss column for a while. I am prepared to accept defeat if we fight till the last ball and that can only happen with a new guard. rastai michil ber hoya is not a new thing for us.