Agencies
A day after Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hasan blasted the national team for the Test debacle at home, it has emerged that the Bangladesh squad and team management had refused to take part in a four-day practice game proposed in the lead up to the just-concluded series against West Indies where the hosts were blanked 2-0.
Cricbuzz understands that Nazmul, present at the venue of the second Test in Dhaka, was furious seeing the national cricketers being unable to chase 231 in the fourth innings in home conditions. It was then that the BCB chief learnt of the team's reluctance to play a four-day warm-up fixture that was planned ahead of the Tests.
"Yes, he was informed about it since he was looking for the reasons behind the batting debacle in the second Test," a BCB source told Cricbuzz on Monday on conditions of anonymity.
Bangladesh's lack of preparation was exposed during the two-match Test series given how the two sides took different routes in preparation. West Indies players were sweating hard to get acclimatized with the conditions and opted to field the maximum number of West Indies' first XI players in warm-up game ahead of the Test in Chattogram's MA Aziz Stadium, while the hosts trained at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium
BCB chief selector Minhajul Abedin admitted to Cricbuzz that they had planned a practice game considering most members of the Bangladesh squad were not familiar with red-ball cricket. The game was eventually knocked off the schedule.
"Yes, we had planned for a practice game as part of preparation but the cricketers were not ready to take part in it, citing fatigue of staying in the bio-bubble." Minhajul said. "The team management agreed to the demands of the cricketers and we did not push anything further after that."
BCB cricket operation chairman Akram Khan said that they had to shelve the practice match because they didn't want to push the cricketers further into bio-bubble stress.
"Yes, it was planned but we had to skip it as they would have to enter the bio-bubble earlier than what they did, and that after already being in a bubble for a substantial amount of time," Akram said. "We have to see the well-being of everyone and that is why we agreed to the suggestion of the team management who preferred to keep the cricketers fresh ahead of the series."
While there is criticism all around for the disastrous performance of the hosts, ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan looked hardly disturbed as he insisted that he is confident about making a comeback from this low.
"Defeat is not expected, not only in cricket but in every sport. But, victory and loss are two sides of the same coin. So, there's nothing to get worried about." Shakib said at a private event in Dhaka on Monday. "It is definitely a difficult time for us, but we have had such times before. We have worked together in the past to get out of such situations, and I believe we can do it again. I believe we have the ability. We have got out of such situations before. A couple of good results will change the scenario. We wouldn't be talking about anything if we had scored the 17 runs needed for the victory," he said.
