Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan said on Sunday (October 29) that they are with their cricketers during this critical time following their dismal performances in the ongoing ICC World Cup.
Bangladeshi cricketers are at the receiving end both on and off the field following their five losses on a trot in the tournament and the most recent loss against Netherlands came as a killer blow. Even the skipper Shakib Al Hasan claimed that their campaign is the worst in recent times.
“People love cricket and that is the reason they will say bad things about board, coach and cricketers and that is normal and I told them you have to accept that because they are the ones who keep you in their head after you win,” Nazmul told reporters at the Taj Bengal compound on Sunday after having a meeting with the cricketers.
“In good times people will dance with them and when they are doing badly people will abuse them and that is their right but even if no one is there with them we are with them,” he said adding that he is not sure what is wrong with this team because everyone is failing unlike the past when one or two cricketers were unable to perform in a game.
Nazmul said that the players are trying to find out what the reason is behind their dismal performances while there is nothing lacking as far as assistance from the board is concerned.
“Day before yesterday I sat with everyone along with the coaching staff for five to 10 minutes and told them that I don’t have any doubt on their ability and whatever happened is a past and I have the faith that you will play well in the upcoming matches. Apart from that I didn’t have any discussion with them,” said Nazmul.
“But what happened in the last game( against Netherlands) is totally unexpected and we cannot even think about it and that is the reason I decided to sit with them individually and asked couple of players whether they are having any problem or missing anything and do they want anything that we can give,” he said.
“Mushfiq and Riyad were together while I spoke individually with Litton Das, Shakib and Miraz. They all admitted that there is nothing lacking and the only problem is that they are not scoring runs and if the five batsmen don’t score runs then later even if others score runs, there is no use because you cannot win the game. Why they are not scoring even they don’t know.
“They are saying all of them are united and they don’t have any problem while they are surprised why they are not scoring runs. The whole Bangladesh was hurt by the defeat and they are even more hurt thinking about it because they cannot accept it.”
Nazmul added that they are trying to give confidence to the cricketers as he feels they are lacking it the most and need that to turn the table in the next three games against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia.
Bangladesh do have an incentive considering the seven ranked teams after the World Cup will automatically qualify for the next ICC Champions Trophy along with hosts Pakistan.
“I thought they are mentally weak and there is nothing much you can do in this regard and because we are at the midst of the World Cup we cannot even change them. We have three games ahead and we don’t have any other option but to do well in those games. Now all we can do is give them the confidence and help them have the self belief because if that is not the case they will be having doubts and we are trying to do that,” said Nazmul.
“We cannot say we will do big things in the next three matches and it is not about winning or losing but they have the ability to play better cricket. Whatever they need we are with them but they are saying they don’t need anything and they have only one problem they are not performing,” he said.
