Comment thread:BD vs Ind 2nd Test at Chittagong

[Zunaid]

The anti-Whatmore volleys are getting larger and more frequent! Or at least questioning some of the coaches approach and methodology. I have always been a strong Whatmore-keep-him-at-all-cost and no-criticisms-are-worthy kind of person but perhaps now a little bit more "extrospection" is in order.

I have always tried to draw a business analogy to coaches and cricket teams - where cricket teams are companies in various stages of maturity - start-up, growth, mature. A coach is then like a CEO - depending on the type of team. A start-up requires a different type of CEO from a growth stage company. For a growth-phase company, the fundamentals are sound, and the CEO is oftentasked with taking to the company to a financible stage where a different breed of CEO takes over. I know I am simplifying my analysis a bit and business-type persons like Rafique can elaborate more or shoot down my theory (better not!).

I have always seen Whatmore as the CEO of a growth stage company. The fundamentals are sound and he is tasked with taking the team to the next stage - i.e. what he did to Sri Lanka. Once there, a different CEO takes over - like Wright for India.

And I made a similar leap vis a vis Bangladesh. The fundamentals are sound - and Whatmore's task is to carry us over the chasm. The fundamental fallacy of my reasoning was with assuming that the fundamentals are all hunky dory for Bangladesh.

The fundamentals are NOT ok - we do not have a solid infrastructure and our resouce base is very thin. We are basically at the start-up phase and we need a different methodology and strategy to get to the next step - solid fundamentals. Is Whatmore the right person for this? Perhaps not. Perhaps what we need is a CEO ala McInnes - who is more into instilling the basics into the team rather than acting as almost an aloof mentor to a team already there. Sri Lanka was already there - all needed as a guiding hand and confidence building rah-rah-rah and support.

Bangladesh is not there yet. We need more than just a guiding hand - we need a firm hand with a strong whip.

Edited on, December 17, 2004, 11:46 PM GMT, by Zunaid.

[oracle]

Perhaps what we need is a CEO ala McInnes - who is more into instilling the basics into the team rather than acting as almost an aloof mentor to a team already there

Why don't you go one step further. As Mciness has said, coaching is the easy part but fixing the other stuff/problems in the periphery is the difficult job.We need a Czar to fix all these problems and so I think we really need a political figurehead at the top to "direct" cricket in BD. The appointed CEO is'nt forceful enough. So I say grudgingly that there has to be a political will to finish the job.
Sorry to say this, (and this might be touchy so discount all political implications for the sake of BD cricket)), but I think we need someone even better or at least similar to Saber Hossain. Saber did enough to help us thru the Test threshold. Now we need another chap to drag us along at a slightly faster pace of development. Right now I don't see any leadership.

Having said all that I still really believe we are improving so I am not convinced by arguments flying around that BD has deteriorated. It's just that the task at hand now looks tougher than many had expected.



Edited on, December 17, 2004, 11:31 PM GMT, by oracle.

[Zunaid]

Oracle - you are right. Expanding on my analogy.

Perhaps a coach is the COO - we still need the right kind of CEO. Speaking of fundamentals - players techniques, skills, callibre et al are only a small part of it all. Why is our player pool so small? Why do we have players who make their Test and First Class debut in the same match (Mashrafee/Nazmul)?

Fundamentals include infrastructure. We've already talked about this many times and often:

- Where is our first class infrastructure? (as starters)

Edited on, December 17, 2004, 11:47 PM GMT, by Zunaid.

[Zobair]

These are hard times but I would like to remind you guys of the good times as well. Think about the tour of Pakistan! We seemed to have our basics right, we were taking the fight to the oppostion, everything was looking up. What changed? I don't think its the basics! Its the mental aspect. I know we have heard this a million times, but I really think this is it. After the debacle of the world cup, under a new coach players tried to shed their mental baggage and try afresh. They started well, showing what they are capable of. They did well not because we used to play more FC cricket "back" in the day (does seem like a long time) but because they decided to shed to their inferiority complex. I really think if we had a won the Multan test, the script now would have been different. As we lost more and more games, the mental aspect which whad been cast out returned with a vengeance. And now under the pressure of this mental baggage the players are making all the little mistakes etc. It may be a stupid theory but hey thats what you will get when I play psychologist?! :P In this particular tour, the main difference has been Pathan. He exposed our players weakness against quality Left-arm pace.

[rafiq]

this has been a tale of 2 completely different days. despite some hard hitting by the indian tail, BD did pretty well. That lbw no=call for harbajan was pathetic, otherwise the score would be under 50. I think mashrafee should have come back at the end to restrict them under 500. In the end stopping ganguly's century and harbajan's 50 can only be a morale booster for BD. Let's hope they at least hang around today before the inevitable crushing collapse tomorrow.

[mahbubH]

We did well today as I was thinking like IND: 600/5 (dec) and BD : 50/5 at stumps. Tiday's first session was memorable one ... 5 top order Indian wickets ... hard to believe!

Lets see how long can we survive tomorrow? Hope there will some play on the 4th day

[Imtiaz]

Originally posted by Fazal

Interesting that he missed the most accomplished player from his list.. And that is Rafique...

So the question is, does the writer knows what he is talking...?

Edited on, December 17, 2004, 3:21 PM GMT, by Fazal.

Not only Rafique, what about Mashud as a keeper. Even Ravi Shastri acknowledged today how good he is. A good keeper is good when you do not talk about him. When you do, it is usually for missing or dropping chances. Mashud, by and large, is good. We saw Patel miss God knows how many against the Aussies. Today, Karthik missed a Nafis edge off Kumble when he did not even move his gloves !

Bangladesh has 4 genuine test class players:

Rafique
Bashar
Mashud [ as a keeper ] ; also as a number 7/8
Mortaza [ just about; but remember he bowls for a weak side; career S/R of 67 ]

Ashraful; not yet.

[Ahmed_B]

Both the Openers (JO & Nafis) were out today.. just because of losing concentration/patience at the end of the day.

Just shows the lack of temperemant for long session games again.

Edited on, December 18, 2004, 12:33 PM GMT, by crickethorizon.

[Ahmed_B]

..

Edited on, December 18, 2004, 12:32 PM GMT, by crickethorizon.

[vv_sunil]

Originally posted by crickethorizon
Both the Openers (JO & Nafis) were out today.. just because of losing concentration/patience at the end of the day.

Just shows the lack of temperemant for long session games again.

Edited on, December 18, 2004, 12:33 PM GMT, by crickethorizon.

ofcourse, everything was going perfectly till last 3/4 overs.

It is really an achievement that they took all the remaining 8 indian wickets (yes, their last man can score 75 runs) and batted almost through the last session without any damage.

they suddenly raised the hope and whole world was expecting to see something like that from the tigers since a long time.

nevermind, they have not scored more runs, but they lasted through almost the whole session.

unfortunately, they lost everything, damaged whatever the moral boosting they earned sor far and the situation as usual.

they left the filed with empty hand and under pressure again, with a thinking that they have to survive tomorrow's moisture with pathan and khan. ...

they may be down, again seeing the loss of 3 quick wickets.

here it is the duty of coach, captain and all others that to boost the confidence of players

keep telling them, that will come to filed tomorrow without any pressure.

keep encourage them pointing-out they have done very well during whole day today and they are capable of doing anything.

all batsmen should come to bat tommorow with a target and also with confidence that they can bat-out whole day tomarrow,,,,,

think positively and come to bat with STRAIGHT HEAD

..........probably, they can save this test

Edited on, December 18, 2004, 1:11 PM GMT, by vv_sunil.

[oracle]

Dissapointed with Nafis but bear in my that he has just embarked on his career. I think he has the technique and he is one player that you can say has lack of experience . The mental aspect failed today but I think he will adjust his game for the better of the team.

This is Mashrafee's 2nd international game after injury and things are looking good. he has taken 2 vital wickets of Dravid and Tendu which means he has enough to trouble the best batting batting lineups. If we can keep him intact then i really hope and pray for Zimbabwe because they will face one pacer who will look very likely to bag that 5 er that is elluding him.

If Ash clicks tommorow then I can say we salvaged some morale from the game even though it looks like a loss. Because we can buld on these 3 youngsters so that we have a core of players we can groom for the future.

[Ahmed_B]

we need gritty show from Bashar/Ash/Aftab/Pilot tomorrow..
Lets hope they can keep their heads cool.

[arafath79]

Congratulations to Mashrafe, Rafique and Nazmul for good bowling performance. Special thanks to Rafique for having four wickets. He is all time best. Mashrafe has got Tendulkar this time. Thanks a lot.

[arafath79]

Please play some good knocks tomorrow. Speciallly,Bashar, Ashraful, Aftab, Rana and Pilot.

[mzia]

Javed was out at 26.1 over, least 5 over remaining for the day, why Mashrafi was on as night watchman?

[Huda]

well at least the umpires are at their top form

63.1 Pathan to Aftab Ahmed, no run, wide outside the off stump, Aftab
goes after it and gets beaten, there was sound as the ball passed
the bat but that was of the bat hitting the turf, loud appeal for
caught behind turned down, excellent decision


63.4 Pathan to Aftab Ahmed, no run, pitched in line and angling away,
Aftab is bit late to react and gets hit on the pad, loud appeal
for lbw turned down, would have just missed the off stump and was
bit high too, another excellent decision by umpire Aleem Dar

i think if that benson or asoka de silva, they would have given the decision to india.

[Mahmood]

Normally, if a top order is out at the last moment of the game, it is a common practice to send in a lower order batsman as night watchman.

As the light is getting low, darkness may make it harder to see the ball thus impossible to play, which may cost a valuable batsman. Losing Masrafi didnt cost us much, but image that wicket could have been Ash. By sending Masrafi as night watchman, we may have saved Ash's wicket.

Originally posted by mzia
Javed was out at 26.1 over, least 5 over remaining for the day, why Mashrafi was on as night watchman?