People in charge of teams that have failed miserably in a World Cup frequently use words like “making changes,” “heading in a new direction,” and “bringing in fresh faces.”
Therefore, it seemed like a calculated response from someone who knew just what to say to deflect criticism when Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha stated, “I think it is time that we need to move on from some of the players that have played for a long time,” just before a two-Test series at home against New Zealand following their embarrassing World Cup performance.
The Sri Lankan was right to make this assessment because the Tigers’ main players, including Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad, Tamim Iqbal, and Mushfiqur Rahim, are nearing the end of their international careers.
The team’s dismal performance in the 2023 World Cup—their worst in the previous 20 years—was just another sign that a change of course is needed.
Hathurusingha, however, did not take long to refute his own statements.
The Kiwis defeated the Tigers by 44 runs via DLS in the opening One-Day International (ODI) of their three-match series on Sunday in New Zealand.
Rain delays throughout the match highlighted Bangladesh’s weakness in the bowling department. Soumya Sarkar, the fifth bowler, gave out 66 runs in his allotted six overs, allowing the hosts to win handily.
When Hathurusingha was questioned yesterday about the reasoning behind selecting Soumya—basically a batter with a moderate medium pace—to fill Shakib’s job, the Sri Lankan responded in a way that was all too familiar from the all-rounder’s previous absences.
“Shakib was a fixture on Bangladeshi teams for the previous fifteen years. Without him, it’s difficult for us to form a combination.”
Everyone can see the issues that Shakib’s absence has caused. However, the head coach of the national team must provide a remedy in addition to just pointing out the evident issue.
Shakib is not getting any younger; according to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), he is still the team’s regular captain in all three forms even though he declared he would step down as captain after the World Cup.
The 36-year-old all-rounder has acknowledged that he would hang up his boots after the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.
Furthermore, he has recently dabbled in politics, which will undoubtedly occupy more of his time in the years to come.
Because he is currently healing from a finger injury, Bangladesh will be without their all-rounder for the New Zealand series.
Thus, Bangladesh’s series against New Zealand might have served as a trial run for how they will perform once Shakib retires from the game.
Bangladesh’s brilliant solution to the issue in the opening ODI was to select Soumya, a player who possesses the remarkable ability to be picked for the national squad even when he does nothing noteworthy at the domestic level.
In his nine prior ODIs played in New Zealand, Soumya had made 139 runs and claimed just one wicket. He had a terrible time in the opening ODI.
When asked about the batsmen’s propensity to waste wickets after receiving starts at Tuesday’s media session, the Sri Lankan joked, “It is a big concern.” Tell me the solution, and I’ll speak with them.
Most likely, it was a spontaneous remark made inadvertently. Or maybe that was just the Freudian slip of a man out of ideas and contradicting himself.