From raising the profile of domestic first-class cricket and finding ways to win overseas, to curbing lopsided power plays in the board, the BCB’s new chief has his work cut out
Mohammad Isam23-Aug-2024Faruque Ahmed, the BCB’s new president, is the first to get the role after having played cricket at the top level – he even captained his country at the ICC Trophy in 1994. That’s a departure from the usual trend: in the past the top job has been manned by politicians, a military general, bureaucrats, and a real estate tycoon.Faruque’s main contribution to Bangladeshi cricket till now has been as a chief selector; in his first stint in that role, when he ushered in a new generation of cricketers like Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. He is also widely known as a thinker of the game, so there will be great expectations of him.What should his priorities be as he takes office? ESPNcricinfo gives you a run-through.Related
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Shut down the media circusNazmul Hassan publicly weighing in on all matters big and small was distracting and, ultimately, damaging for Bangladeshi cricket. His press conferences came thick and fast. He spoke for long, in strong words, which worked well for social media clips and reels. Players, coaches, administrators and match officials had become wary of being taken apart by the board president after a poor performance.Faruque, on the other hand, is a reserved person in general. He will know the cameras will be waiting for him every day, but it is up to him to choose to ignore them and get on with the job.Aim for a better overseas recordAs chief selector, Faruque has overseen two good World Cup campaigns. He introduced young players like Shakib, Tamim and Mushfiqur ahead of the 2007 ODI World Cup, while also forming a strong relationship with coach Dav Whatmore and captain Habibul Bashar. He continued to make sensible calls in his second stint as selector, during which Bangladesh reached the quarter-finals of the 2015 ODI World Cup.Bangladesh haven’t replicated those performances at global events since then. Faruque has talked about changing the head coach, but the team is a few moves short of regaining lost ground from the 2010s.Formulating plans to win red- and white-ball matches overseas should be a top priority. Once they break that barrier, the team will start to feel more at ease against top opponents in foreign conditions, and more big-tournament success could flow from that.Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan came into the national team when Faruque Ahmed was chief selector•AFP/Getty ImagesFirst-class overhaul neededFaruque has to find ways to raise the competitiveness and status of the domestic first-class competitions. Players call it “picnic cricket” even after the BCB introduced a new two-tier system for the National Cricket League (NCL).Firstly, players earn very little from first-class cricket, compared to the limited-overs competitions like the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).Secondly, selection committees have traditionally paid little attention to first-class performances. Bangladesh squad selection largely depends on DPL performances and Under-19 World Cup appearances.Thirdly, the NCL is just not competitive. Teams like Dhaka Division and Khulna Division dominate due to their better facilities and regional tournaments and scouting. Rajshahi Division used to be a heavyweight while Rangpur Division and Dhaka Metropolis have done well at times. Barishal Division, Sylhet Division and Chattogram Division have been below-par for a quarter of a century. So there’s plenty of work to do on this front.Bangladeshis need more T20sThis might sound off, but Bangladesh’s professional cricketers don’t play enough competitive T20 matches. Overseas cricketers get all the key roles in BPL teams, so it leaves very few domestic players with the opportunity to command a place in the national team or other franchise leagues.To begin to address this gap in supply, Faruque could encourage the tournament committee to organise regional T20 tournaments, where scouts could look for brand-new talents. Bangladesh’s lack of big-hitters and legspinners might be fixed in this process.A change in constitution, and attitudeConflict of interest is a major problem in the BCB. It stems from the board’s constitution, which allows DPL club representatives to gain the majority stake on the board. So they have traditionally had a bigger say on BCB matters, and have tended to protect their clubs’ interests.If this is addressed through an amended constitution, the different BCB departments will have more independence to formulate plans as needed, without delay or deference. For instance, the cricket operations department had to wait for Nazmul Hassan to firm up decisions on the national team. This wasn’t always the case with the BCB, and it is not how the board should be run if it is to become a truly professional unit. To change this, Faruque needs loyal lieutenants. Loyal not to him, but to Bangladesh cricket. It will be a major shift if he can pull it off.