‘It’s tough to win a World Cup suddenly’- Nannu calls for better planning

|| CF DESK ||

Despite reaching the Super Eight stage in the most recent T20 World Cup, Bangladesh's team performance has come under heavy criticism, particularly due to the underwhelming display by the batters. Openers Litton Das, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Shakib Al Hasan failed to meet expectations throughout the tournament.

In response, many have called for significant changes in the Bangladesh T20 squad. Former chief selector Minhajul Abedin Nannu believes that winning a World Cup suddenly is challenging and requires a well-planned and strong team. He is optimistic that with the right preparations, Bangladesh can perform well in the next World Cup.

"We need to think carefully and build a strong team in one format to focus on the World Cup. Given our current state, it's tough to win a World Cup suddenly. We need time. If we can prepare the team within this period, we can hope for a good performance in the next World Cup." Nannu stated on Tuesday.

Bangladesh's cricketers primarily adapt to T20 cricket through the Bangladesh Premier League, where foreign players often dominate. Additionally, the BCL T20 tournament has been organized on a limited scale in recent years, lacking competitive intensity. These tournaments have not significantly benefited the country's cricket, and they are deemed ineffective if they do not produce suitable T20 players.

However, there have been ongoing plans to organize another T20 tournament, and the BCB is now on the verge of implementing these plans. Nannu, currently the BCB's Chief Coordinator of Programs, is directly involved in this initiative. He is hopeful that an additional T20 tournament will benefit the country's cricketers.

"We are already far behind in the T20 format. If you look at our domestic cricket, very few players get T20 matches. The BPL is held with a franchise model, where foreign players play in many key positions, limiting opportunities for our players."

"We are now trying to increase the number of matches for domestic cricketers in T20 tournaments. We need more good players in this format. Identified players need to be nurtured for international play and given franchise cricket experience" he explained.

The BCB has been working to spread cricket across the country for a long time, regularly organizing series outside Dhaka. High-performance and Bangladesh Tigers camps are currently ongoing. Soon, a BCB team will tour Australia, with both teams practicing in Dhaka beforehand. The BCB plans to expand these camps further.

"Our cricket is still Dhaka-centric and not yet centralized. We have four regional boards, but with a high-performance unit, we could nurture 80 players, preparing them for international cricket," Nannu added.