As young Mushfiqur Rahim walked out through the member's pavillion at Lord's with his side struggling at 71 for 4, there were moments of introspection and questioning. Goosebumps was all I could feel within, as this brave young man strode out for perhaps his first of many tough days in his cricketing career. A 16-year old all geared up against a pack of English wolves is no mere joke and for all we know he might just be the prey they are waiting for. That is the moment a dream turns into a nightmare, an ambition falls flat. This brings me to my point of contention, something that Bangladesh cricket has always been "priding" about, mistakenly so I feel ! A question that only time can answer for cricket in general, and to be more specific in Bangladesh.
A touring party to England is something that most teams would stack up with more and more experienced players, but the policy in Bangladesh sounds otherwise. From literal schoolboys to should-be graduates, the team bears all. With first class cricket in the lesser nations like Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Kenya not close to what is considered as top-flight, these youngsters are nothing more than a stop-gap arrangement and one eye to the future is not a good enough incentive for these teenagers to perform, as their future depends on that moment. So to speak, Bangladesh could well create a world record for producing the most number of under-20 cricketers in a short span of just under 5 years. But, look at the stats - only Mohammad Ashraful and now Mushfiqur Rahim survive from that huge list. With only 5-6 first class matches under their belt, international cricket may not be easy lessons to grasp for these youngsters. There needs to be more thought when it comes to selection of these players. If I can remember right, Nazmul Hossain played his first One Day (FC) ever against New Zealand in 2004 and Enamul-Haque Jr made his First Class debut in a test match against England - these things have to be sorted out at the earliest for Bangladesh cricket to achieve a certain degree of consistency - both in their game and experience. Mohammad Ashraful, who is talked about in the cricketing circles as the Bangladeshi version of the Little Master, did virtually nothing since that debut century in Sri Lanka, but as 365 days in his life passed on, maturity and experience were the qualities he gained and now is perhaps the best Bangladeshi batsman on show.
Bangladesh and other lesser countries have always harped on their ability to produce talents. But most of these youngsters once dumped from the team, rarely make a comeback into the reckoning again. Take an example of Mohammad Sharif, who made his debut against Zimbabwe in 2000 as a 15-year old, thanks to the ambition of the authorities and today, his comeback seems more than doubtful. Their "A" team consists again of 18-19 year olds who are just about learning the tricks of the trade, and within no time - there is an assurance of a graduation.Its contemplation time for Bangladesh cricket, for their youngsters have nothing been a bait in the rod for the opposition to not only end their innings, but their career and their future in the game. Who knows ? Maybe Mushfiqur Rahim or Shahadat Hossain may just play the innings of their life to prove me wrong, but none can take away the immediate problem of inexperience - in the player and also the selection. Yes, raw talent on display is something the world looks forward to - no two words on that count, but a polished talent always stands out and leaves a mark that can be never erased.
Well - my words of encouragement for young Rahim as he played the Englishmen well today. But something for Ian Botham who has started the comparison bandwagon - Beefy, its too early to even start thinking of comparing Rahim to Sachin !
A touring party to England is something that most teams would stack up with more and more experienced players, but the policy in Bangladesh sounds otherwise. From literal schoolboys to should-be graduates, the team bears all. With first class cricket in the lesser nations like Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Kenya not close to what is considered as top-flight, these youngsters are nothing more than a stop-gap arrangement and one eye to the future is not a good enough incentive for these teenagers to perform, as their future depends on that moment. So to speak, Bangladesh could well create a world record for producing the most number of under-20 cricketers in a short span of just under 5 years. But, look at the stats - only Mohammad Ashraful and now Mushfiqur Rahim survive from that huge list. With only 5-6 first class matches under their belt, international cricket may not be easy lessons to grasp for these youngsters. There needs to be more thought when it comes to selection of these players. If I can remember right, Nazmul Hossain played his first One Day (FC) ever against New Zealand in 2004 and Enamul-Haque Jr made his First Class debut in a test match against England - these things have to be sorted out at the earliest for Bangladesh cricket to achieve a certain degree of consistency - both in their game and experience. Mohammad Ashraful, who is talked about in the cricketing circles as the Bangladeshi version of the Little Master, did virtually nothing since that debut century in Sri Lanka, but as 365 days in his life passed on, maturity and experience were the qualities he gained and now is perhaps the best Bangladeshi batsman on show.
Bangladesh and other lesser countries have always harped on their ability to produce talents. But most of these youngsters once dumped from the team, rarely make a comeback into the reckoning again. Take an example of Mohammad Sharif, who made his debut against Zimbabwe in 2000 as a 15-year old, thanks to the ambition of the authorities and today, his comeback seems more than doubtful. Their "A" team consists again of 18-19 year olds who are just about learning the tricks of the trade, and within no time - there is an assurance of a graduation.Its contemplation time for Bangladesh cricket, for their youngsters have nothing been a bait in the rod for the opposition to not only end their innings, but their career and their future in the game. Who knows ? Maybe Mushfiqur Rahim or Shahadat Hossain may just play the innings of their life to prove me wrong, but none can take away the immediate problem of inexperience - in the player and also the selection. Yes, raw talent on display is something the world looks forward to - no two words on that count, but a polished talent always stands out and leaves a mark that can be never erased.
Well - my words of encouragement for young Rahim as he played the Englishmen well today. But something for Ian Botham who has started the comparison bandwagon - Beefy, its too early to even start thinking of comparing Rahim to Sachin !
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