Tamim finds out biggest problem, shares solutions for Bangladesh cricket

What is the biggest problem Bangladesh cricket facing right now? What issue needs urgent solution?

The answer will vary from person to person, but someone like Tamim Iqbal who is integral part of Bangladesh cricket must know it better. Prothom Alo’s chief sports editor Utpal Shuvro asked Tamim these two questions.

“I think we don’t have enough facilities (practice facilities),” was Tamim’s answer.

In a video interview with Prothom Alo, Tamim spoke in detail with Bangladesh cricket, his own career, future goal, and many more.

During the interview, Tamim Iqbal spoke about the major problem of Bangladesh cricket.

“Facilities that an international cricket team needs—or that should exist for the most popular sport in a country like Bangladesh—are nowhere near what we have. Even though Bangladesh is the third or fourth richest cricket board in the world, we don’t even come close to the facilities that should be there,” Tamim said.

“The kind of facilities needed to meet fans’ expectations from a cricket team, we don’t have anything close to that. You may be an average cricketer or an average batsman, but with proper training, you can rise two levels above average,” the star opener explained further.

He then pointed to the example of Mushfiqur Rahim: “I don’t consider Mushfiqur Rahim an average batsman in any way. To me, he is one of the best batsmen Bangladesh has produced. But there’s a huge difference between his batting 10–12 years ago and his batting now. How did that happen? I’ve seen it—pure hard work and dedication. Now just imagine, if we had the best facilities for training, what would have happened?”

Tamim then raised another issue, “We learned 90 per cent of things only after reaching the national team. But that’s not how it should be. Whether it’s about bringing a power-hitting coach or this coach or that coach, these should be learned at the Under-19, Under-17, or Under-15 levels. Why should it be taught after joining the national team? Even if you have access to the best facilities in the world, there’s no guarantee you’ll become a great cricketer. But if players get the right opportunities, their chances of becoming good cricketers increase.”

So what about the solutions of the problems heard from Tamim? On this, one of Bangladesh’s greatest batsmen brought up his potential future role. Earlier, in an interview with a daily, he had said he would participate in the upcoming BCB elections. Speaking with Utpal Shuvro, that topic came up early on. Tamim said, for now, he is only thinking about becoming a board director. However, he didn’t directly deny the possibility of running for president. His plan is to first become a director and then move step by step.

On solving the issues, Tamim linked it with taking responsibility on the board.

“If I join the cricket board—whether in a high position or as a director—if in these four years I can implement even one or two things for cricket, one of the most important would be the Center of Excellence.

“I already have detailed plans for everything. I don’t know if I’ll be able to become a board director, but after this interview, I’ll show you (the plan). Where the land is, how much is needed, what needs to be done—I have a full plan. If I can implement what I dream of, then not just cricket but other sports will also benefit.”

“In Bangladesh, players at the Under-19, Under-17, High Performance, Academy, and National Team levels—you expect world-class performances from them. Ask the man selling peanuts on the street, and even he wants Bangladesh to beat India or Pakistan. And he’s right—he should have those expectations. It’s because of that hope that cricket has reached this stage here. But don’t those responsible also have the duty to provide players with facilities so that the players themselves think, ‘We will beat them’? If you practice at Mirpur Academy, such thoughts will rarely come—you’ll be more worried about the ball hitting your head from nowhere.”

He also spoke about the player pipeline. He argued that it’s not true Bangladesh lacks players. Talent is there in the pipeline, coming through age-level cricket and leagues.

“We are not following the most successful model in the world—that is, school cricket. Those who played cricket 15–20 years ago know that schools like Nirman used to exist and were very popular. That model worked back then. Why haven’t we given importance to this? I don’t understand. Another very important thing—if each area has a field, at least two academies will exist. What those academies teach the kids is crucial.”

“From all these academies, there will be hundreds of coaches. You can’t give jobs to all of them. But at least you can hold a seminar for all of them every year, to share what techniques are currently being used in world cricket.”

He continued: “Most cricketers come from poor families. They can’t afford to train at places like the Masco or other big academies. Do you know where these kids go? For example, there’s the Abahani field, where many academies exist. Kids pay Tk 100–200 a month to learn there. Those who coach them have a responsibility to provide proper guidance. I’ve only told you two or three points. Beyond these two or three, I don’t want to take on more.”