No senior-junior divide in Domingo’s team
Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo sees no difference between the senior and junior members of his team as everyone will have to pull their weight equally if they are to succeed against a strong South Africa team in forthcoming series.
The Tigers are set to begin a challenging South Africa tour on Friday with the first One-Day International of the three-match series in Centurion.
Unlike their previous tour, which was in January 2022 in New Zealand, Bangladesh will have the service of ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan available to them in both ODI and Test series.
The experienced opener and ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal and all-rounder Mahmudullah will also be available for the 50-over matches.
Domingo, however, feels that it’s pointless to divide the players in groups of seniors and juniors as everyone will have to shoulder the same responsibility when they enter the playing field.
“To me there are no seniors or juniors. All 11 players are equally important. Many people differentiate between the seniors and juniors. To me, it seems completely unnecessary,” Domingo said in a press conference in Centurion on Wednesday.
Bangladesh has never won against the hosts in South Africa in any format. They have toured South Africa thrice (2002, 2008 and 2017) but have nothing to show for from those trips.
The Tigers also experienced one of the lowest points of their ODI history in South Africa, when they lost against Kenya and Canada during the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Domingo, who is also a former South Africa head coach, accepted that they are the underdogs against South Africa but feels that Bangladesh has the right balance in its ODI squad to challenge the hosts.
“We have definitely come here as underdogs, having not won a game here before. But we are confident in our one-day side. We have played well in this format for a long period of time. Players understand their roles. We are expecting a competitive series,” said the South African.
Fielding has let Bangladesh down on multiple occasions in recent times with easy catches getting dropped and run-out opportunities getting missed.
Bangladesh Cricket Board appointed Australia’s Shane McDermott as the team’s fielding coach earlier this month to fix the problem. But the Australian is not with the team after testing positive for Covid-19.
The higher altitude in South Africa could make catching a bit more difficult for the Bangladeshi fielders, but Domingo doesn’t agree.
“Whether you are fielding here, in New Zealand or Bangladesh, a ball is a ball. You have to catch it. Obviously, there's a bit of altitude here. The ball travels a bit quicker. There's no major difference between catching here and catching in Bangladesh.”
Shakib joined the team in South Africa after much drama. He was initially selected for the tour, then given rest till 30 April by the board upon request before finally agreeing to play in the series.
Despite all the drama, Domingo is relieved to have the all-rounder with the team.
“[Shakib] balances our team. It is always difficult when he is not in the team - you are not sure if you need an extra bowler or extra batsman.”
“It is great to have a player of his calibre around. He is experienced. He has been here before. He is a world-class player. We are very happy that he is on the tour. His energy, attitude and work ethic has been fantastic.”