Agencies
Khaled Mahmud, Bangladesh Team Leader and former captain, feels that making Head Coach Russell Domingo a scapegoat for the failure of the national team wouldn't be wise. The Asian nation has struggled to make a mark on the international scene since returning from the Covid-19 break. Bangladesh lost the Test series to a second string West Indies side and that was followed by a lackluster show in New Zealand as well.
With Bangladesh hurtling to some heavy defeats in the recent past, Domingo, the head coach, came under scrutiny. They suffered three successive series losses on the trot across formats in the last few months that prompted the board to appoint their Game Development chairman Khaled Mahmud as the head of delegation for the Sri Lanka tour.
Though Bangladesh managed to earn a draw in the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Pallekelle, they lost the series eventually after getting thrashed by the hosts in the second Test. BCB had several reasons to make Mahmud the team leader for the series and one of the major reasons behind this appointment was to observe how Domingo performs inside the dressing room considering the BCB higher-ups were not impressed with him.
"We should not make Russell a 'scapegoat','' Mahmud told Cricbuzz on Wednesday (May 5) before submitting his report to the board.
"We should not make the coach fully responsible for any good and bad. He was also a coach of a big team. There was no blunder in his effort, perhaps he was unlucky. It happens many times. It is too early to say anything now. I just worked with him in a series and all I can say is that he is trying," he added.
Mahmud, who has performed various roles in Bangladesh cricket over the years, pointed out that Domingo can perhaps work on his communication skills.
"We need to explain to the boys about our planning and later we have to tell them constantly what needs to be done and Domingo needs to understand it," said Mahmud.
''He (Domingo) is not working in South Africa. In Bangladesh, things work differently and our boys need to be reminded about their responsibility from the dressing room time and again and our cricket culture. In other top cricketing nations that is not how it operates as cricketers are expected to fulfill their responsibility and act accordingly without telling them now and then that this needs to be done or that needs to be done. I've tried to convey this message and I've talked about it. It takes time to build a relationship. But I have tried to explain what I know about Bangladesh cricket," he added.