A focused, methodical approach from the players and coach has helped Bangladesh overshadow the controversies that piled up over the summer with a dominant show against New Zealand
Bangladesh had a messy summer featuring corruption confessions, suspensions, unfair treatment of some players and strikes. Five months on, they have found international success, having dominated New Zealand at home again. The short turnaround period has much to do with proper focus on the job. If the progress made in terms of fitness, skills and attitude from May to October 2013 is replicated every year, there could be more success ahead.
The manner in which Bangladesh dominated New Zealand in parts of the Test series and all through the ODI series could be traced back to the long training camp that began in June and ended in early September. It involved rebuilding the batting and bowling line-ups, lengthening the talent pipeline and restoring confidence. And suddenly, the traumatic events of the summer seem a long way away.
The bad news cycle began with Mushfiqur Rahim’s sudden resignation as captain after they lost the ODI series to Zimbabwe. The BCB backed him and he stayed on, but there were bigger jolts to come. Mohammad Ashraful soon revealed that the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit had questioned him over alleged corruption in the BPL. The BCB suspended him indefinitely. The ICC did the same to eight others. The Dhaka Premier League, the domestic one-day competition, was at a standstill, with the non-availability of national players, the weather and the players’ transfer system all stalling the tournament, time and again. The BCB’s representative sides all failed on tour: Bangladesh A lost all their matches in England, the Under-23s managed to lose to UAE in a tournament in Singapore and the U-19s had their fair share of learning to do in England too.
Then there was the dithering over the BCB elections and the under-preparedness of the World T20 venues, though is it unlikely the players dwelt too much on these last two sagas. Still, it was all there, a conveyer belt of negative news coming out of Bangladesh cricket.
Maybe adversity brings out the best in Bangladesh players, though. In 2005 they followed up disastrous first Test series in England by famously beating Australia. In 2007, their much-criticised World Cup team beat India. The following year they beat New Zealand soon after a group of players went to the rebel Indian Cricket League. But 2013 wasn’t just about a bad tour or questionable selection. It was about loss of integrity and a general feeling of defeat that pervaded the world of otherwise hard-working cricketers. – ESPNcricinfo via Google
