Bangladesh's New Era: Faruque Ahmed Discusses Pakistan Victory, India Series, and Cricket Reforms
Bangladesh's cricket team enters a new era after defeating Pakistan 2-0 in a historic Test series.
Image Credits: Allsport UK /Allsport
Bangladesh has been in choppy waters since July and early August as the protests against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government killed more than 450 people. And as soon as the political turmoil ended, the floods affected 5.7 million people.
Amid the police crackdown and mob brutality at home, the cricketers landed in Pakistan four days ahead of schedule to train and acclimatise for the two-match Test series.
In a rare feat, Bangladesh humiliated Pakistan 2-0 for the first time in a Test series. Player of the Series Mehidy Hasan Miraz dedicated his award to the martyred students during the unrest. The historic win overseas against a top Test-playing nation could be a fresh start for the cricket team, like the new government in the country.
Set for India challenge
Newly appointed Bangladesh Cricket Board president Faruque Ahmed feels the stage is set for a gruelling red-ball series against India starting September 19. "It was difficult for the players [to prepare well for Pakistan] due to the country's condition, but their professionalism came into play. They were focused and did not think much about the situation. They concentrated on what they wanted to do and played their best game.
"It was a difficult series, but an excellent one since it was an overseas win, clearly one of the best we have ever played," he told SportsBoom.com.
Ahmed believes the players are prepared to take on India. "India is one of the top teams, and it is not easy to play against the best. Now, Indian wickets are also assisting pacers. Earlier, it used to only help spinners. There are a few bouncy and green wickets. Our players have won a big game, and they have the belief they can do it in overseas Tests. This mindset will help them in the India tour. If they do their things right and play to their potential, it will be good. I expect them to play their natural game and not make silly mistakes," he said, adding: "They played in the heat in Pakistan, which is similar to India. They are used to such conditions."
The Shakib controversy
Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, known for getting embroiled in controversies, received a major blow off the field. The 37-year-old was a lawmaker for Hasina's Awami League party. When the parliament dissolved after mass killings and detentions, an individual named Rafiqul Islam, who lost his son during the unrest, filed a murder case against 155 people, including the cricketer.
Hasan was plying his trade in the Global T20 League in Canada during the emergency in his country.
Image Credits: Laurence Griffiths /Allsport
Ahmed backed Hasan to fight the tough phase. "Shakib is a tough guy, mentally, with a lot of experience. Overall, his career has not been smooth with a lot of off-field issues. He coped well and he contributed to the historic win in Pakistan. He has always been a match-winner. I don't think it affects him too much. It is just an FIR, and the process is long. It should not be a problem," said the 58-year-old.
Hasan has the green signal from the board to continue playing until the court proves his guilt.
The road ahead for Bangladesh
Ahmed wants to create a better structure for age group cricket in Bangladesh. "I need to work on the wickets where we play, domestically, the umpiring and the grounds. The cricketing aspect, pipeline, and age group are the areas. Ground and facilities for players need to improve.
"We have been speaking about greener wickets for quite some time when I was the selector earlier. We are trying to get better wickets. At times, the weather and conditions don't help. Now we play so much cricket that it is difficult to get things going if you don't have enough grounds. You need top-class grounds for four-day games, T20s and 50-overs. If we have more Test venues, it will be easier for us to maintain and improve those and get better wickets," said Ahmed, who represented Bangladesh in seven ODIs from 1988 to 1999.
After two Tests and three T20Is against India, Bangladesh will fly to the West Indies for two Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is in November.
Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya is a cricket journalist based in India who takes a keen interest in stories that unfold on and off the field. His expertise lies in news writing, features and profiles, interviews, stats, and numbers-driven stories. He has also worked as a podcaster and talk show host on cricket-related shows on YouTube and Spotify.