Bangladesh cricket is stuck due to inferior facilities and infrastructure, says BCB director Nazmul Abedeen

Abedeen, who has been involved with the sport in the country for almost 30 years, returned to the BCB as director amid administrative shake-up.

Nazmul Abedeen has worked as administrator, coach, and curator, and groomed Bangladesh legends such as Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan during his 15-year stint at the National Institute. | Photo Credit: X @BCBtigers

Bangladesh’s cricket as well as its politics is in a state of flux. In the midst of a political crisis, that saw the toppling of the Sheikh Hasina-regime and an interim government taking over, the cricket team pulled off a historic coup in Pakistan, beating the host 2-0 in a Test series.  

The political unrest also led to the resignation of the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Nazmul Hasan, who was replaced by Faruque Ahmed last month.  

Amidst the administrative shake-up, Nazmul Abedeen, who has been involved with the sport in the country for almost 30 years, returned to the BCB as director. Abedeen has worked as administrator, coach, and curator, and groomed Bangladesh legends such as Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan during his 15-year stint at the National Institute (Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan).  

He has also coached the national U-19 side during two World Cups and headed the Women’s Wing of the BCB.  

Sportstar caught up with Abedeen, who has had a ringside view of the sport in Bangladesh, about the issues ailing the cricketing ecosystem and the way forward. 

Excerpts:  

What changes do you see in the Bangladesh cricket ecosystem through your long association with the sport in the country?

We were not in a competitive stage when we were given Test status. We have come forward, but we got stuck at a point. Bangladesh cricket got stuck at a point for the last five to seven years. We haven’t done very badly but we are stagnant. Because of probably the facilities and infrastructure, they don’t support the cricketers to become real international cricketers. Very limited cricketing nations have ideal infrastructure or facilities – like India, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. The rest of the countries don’t possess the required standard of facilities. We are working on these things and putting emphasis on infrastructural developments, competitions, human resource development. It will take another two to three years to get to a point where we can be a little more competitive. The potential is there – you can see individual players. If we can put things together, create a culture, they can be more consistent. We are coming up with a new Board, and the President himself has been a former captain. We are trying something different now, where the focus is on players, not anything else. I am very optimistic that there will be some changes in Bangladesh cricket in the next two years.  

Do you think the change that is most required is at the grassroots and making the transition from First-Class cricket to international cricket?

The difference between First-Class and List A and international is too big. We have to minimise it. I have been watching this particular Test match [in Chennai] and I have been telling myself at this same ground, when India plays a First-Class match, how much difference there would be from international cricket. I don’t think there would be much difference in terms of the competitiveness, people who are involved in a First-Class match, coaches, analysts, physios, trainers. It would probably be almost the same standard as the national standard, We need to minimise this gap.  

At the grassroots, we need to identify the right talent, guide them in the right pathway and make the pathway smooth.  

Bangladesh’s captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (r) and Shakib Al Hasan run between the wickets. | Photo Credit: PTI

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and Dhaka Premier League have put Bangladesh on the franchise cricket map, but do you feel they are developing players for the national team?

Yeah, we are organising BPL and since everybody is doing it, why not us? The focus point should be, like IPL (Indian Premier League) has done – it has promoted Indian cricket, given Indian cricketers a new pathway, hopes and inspiration. We have missed out on this. It has become a competition to attract overseas cricketers, the media and outside people. We are not getting the right value in terms of development of Bangladesh cricket. There is more to be done. It is a great opportunity not only for the players, but the coaches, trainers and physios to work at a different level and get to an international career situation from there. We are hoping that from now on we can use BPL not only as a financially beneficial thing but also play a role in human development sectors.

The Bangladesh U-19 team has won a World Cup, beating India in the final in 2020. Is the Bangladesh age-group cricket system still very strong in the country?

We are focused on junior-level cricket. But after 19, the environment, support, standard of cricket and schooling they require is not there. The pathway from there onwards is not up to the mark. Ultimately, some of them are playing for the national team but they don’t acquire international standards because the journey from U-19 to international is not that tempting or challenging. The bar needs to be raised. They need to face more challenges in domestic competitions and get used to the taste of real international environments within the domestic structure. Even after doing so well at the U-19 level, we are not doing so much better from there onwards.  

There has been criticism of First-Class cricket not being up to the mark in Bangladesh. What changes do you feel are needed?

From the beginning, our focus has been on 50-over cricket because that was our cricket, even 50 years ago. The organisers, cricketers, coaches, media – they understand that game very well. Our First-Class cricket doesn’t get that attention. Socially, First-Class cricket is not important. Even if you do well, you don’t get recognition in society because they are not looking at you but looking at the T20 or 50-over players and competitions. Players who are relying only on First-Class cricket or List A cricket, they have it tough. We are trying to increase the financial remuneration for them. All these things make First-Class cricket lesser than it should have been. Because there is so much financial benefit in other formats, people are probably neglecting this part of the game.  

We also don’t play enough Test matches. Players who are playing only Test matches suffer financially. It is very important they are looked after well. I don’t think we give them enough financial support and that needs to be raised. If not, they focus on other formats and lose their shape as Test cricketers. This new Board will take that into account and their motivation is not lost. 

There are other issues as well, like good quality coaches, and the structure of the management. Wickets are also very important. We are trying to make good wickets for batting and some for the quick bowlers and spinners. We are also working on the coaching staff. It is so important to have good coaches for these teams, analysts, trainers and physios so that the difference between international cricket and domestic cricket becomes less.  

Do you think there is a need to have a local coach for the national team?

It is very important. When you don’t have, you have to rely on foreign coaches. But when you have local coaches, they know the history of your cricket. That is so important. It is always preferrable to have your own coaches. We have failed to grow our own coaches.

There are some who are good, but we never gave them the opportunity to work with the High-Performance teams or the A teams. Sadly, even our U-19 coach is not local, which is a huge setback for us. I will be very keen to make replacements with local coaches as soon as they are ready to take their place.  

Is there a focus towards making pitches that help fast-bowlers on the domestic circuit?

There is a huge improvement in the Bangladeshi pace bowling department. It is because in the last few years, we have seen slightly better wickets and the use of the Dukes ball has helped a lot. Now, every team has three seamers, and they bowl 50 out of the 90 overs. Earlier, it used to be 15-20 overs a day and occasionally two seamers per team. That has changed. That change has brought this new generation of fast bowlers. There are a few others waiting in the pipeline. We still have a very limited number of grounds of First-Class standard, so we are working on that. The practice grounds and conditions also need improvement.  

Do you feel there is an injury-management problem in Bangladesh cricket, especially with regards to fast-bowlers?

Fast bowlers were not given priority in our overall cricket. It was a spin-oriented team. We have one or two fast bowlers. There wasn’t much injury then because the bowling load was less. But now genuine fast bowlers are coming, they are taking a lot of load and the question of management comes into this. Ebadot Hossain is a typical case. He has done so well for us, and he has missed out on cricket for more than a year now. Now that we are facing this problem, we are realising we are not equipped enough to protect the fast bowlers and their injuries. We are looking at outside help as well to address this issue, including India, which is doing very well in this regard.  

What is the Tigers programme and how is it helping the national team?  

The Tigers programme is about players who are left out of the national team. Now that we will have a T20 series after the Test series, players who are not in this series but will be joining the team for the T20s, they are looked after by us. This is especially for players who are on the fringes of the national team but there is every possibility they will take over. Those exclusive players are under this programme.  

Bangladesh’s players celebrate with trophy after winning the second and last Test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh. | Photo Credit: AFP

Was the recent triumph in Pakistan the greatest moment in Bangladesh’s cricket history?

I think so. Winning two consecutive matches in Test cricket. Pakistan in not at their best now, compared to 20 years ago, but they are still a very good side. Beating them at their home ground in two consecutive matches, it proves that Bangladesh has the potential.

This Test series has given us, for the first time, the pride of being a Test nation. 

Given how well Bangladesh’s pacers have done recently, do you think Bangladesh could move away from making spin-friendly pitches at home for Tests?

We are not left with a choice. Bangladesh’s strength is not spin anymore. Very similar to India now. We have to think twice before putting on a surface which helps spinners. Earlier, overseas teams had a problem of playing against spin or they didn’t have a good standard of spin bowlers. Now, they are well-equipped. They can play spin and bowl spin, sometimes better than us. That is not an advantage anymore. With Bangladesh’s pacers doing well, it should be a good decision to mix it up – spin and pace both. I don’t think Bangladesh will very often play on slow wickets until and unless it is a must. Even in local cricket, the emphasis should be on wickets where the ball is travelling, and the quick bowlers are making the batters struggle.  

Is there a transition plan in place for Mushfiqur and Shakib?  

There is a transition plan in place. But whatever you do, you will miss them. Not only Shakib and Mushfiqur, but also Tamim [Iqbal] and [Mahmudullah] Riyadh. He is still playing the white-ball formats. That is there in the mind of the selectors and the system. It will be very difficult, when it comes to Shakib, because of his all-round role for such a long time. When the selectors make their next team, they will always be a batter or a bowler short. It will be a pain for a while, but you have no choice. You either bring somebody as good as him, or you get used to playing with one player less.  

Why hasn’t Bangladesh been able to produce players of the caliber of Mushfiqur or Shakib over the years?

Our domestic cricket for the last 15 years hasn’t been very good. The culture, discipline – we lack. To bring players of that level, you need that kind of competitive environment. We have players with that ability – look at Litton Kumer Das. There are a few others, but they haven’t matched a Mushfiqur or a Shakib.  

Is Tamim Iqbal still up for selection?  

He seems to be enjoying commentary, and I am sure he will be very good at that. But, of course, he is up for selection. He is still one of our best opening batters. 

His generation – Shakib, Tamim, Mushfiqur, Mahmudullah – learned the game in a different way. They played the game for the sake of playing it, from a place of love, because money was not there. They have only one objective – to play for the national team and international cricket and become someone like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar or Vivian Richards. This generation has different motives.  

Bangladesh has done well in bilateral series, but it tends to struggle in ICC tournaments. Why is that? 

Our preparation for the last two World Cups [2023, 2024] has been very poor. The pressure is always there. We have struggled with our bowling but in the last two to three years we have had a reasonably comprehensive bowling attack. We have failed in batting consistently. I will go back to domestic cricket for that. They have failed to produce competitive batters. Bowling is possible in almost any environment. But for batting you need to have conditions in which you are going to eventually play.  

What goals has the new management in the BCB set in terms of taking the game forward in Bangladesh and what will be your priorities?

Everything we do, the benefit has to go to the players. That was missing. Even if we buy a car for the cricket Board, that has to benefit the players. We need more selectors, we need better coaches and physios, grounds, everything is for the players.