BCB focuses on age-level cricket

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is focusing more on age-level cricket, along with senior-level cricket, in view of the changed scenario of the international cricket. It wants to ensure the production of potential and quality players as they are mulling to form separate squads for three formats in days to come.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has brought changes in the game strategy and formulated far-reaching development plans for different formats after consulting with its member countries. The introduction of the World Test Championship (WTC) and ODI League, coupled with the new arrangement of the ranking system in Twenty20, One-day and Test cricket, is part of its new programme.

Unlike other nations, Bangladesh have to shift its game approach and devise different mechanisms for different formats both at domestic and international cricket to cope with these changed circumstances.

The BCB has, meanwhile, drawn up a long-term plan for its overall cricket. As part of its changed strategy, the board is now focusing more on its age-group teams, along with senior teams, including the ‘A’ team, the emerging team, and the high-performance (HP) team after its national outfit. They signed up many bilateral and reciprocal series with different countries for those teams so that the players could get chances to play round the year.

Along with that, the board aims to give these young players international exposure and make them get used to playing on different wickets and in different conditions.

Currently, the BCB has a long-term agreement with India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Afghanistan cricket for its age-group cricket along with other senior teams.

Speaking on the issue, AEM Kawser, senior national manager of the BCB Games Development, said: “We had an agreement with West Indies, New Zealand, England for our U19 along with HP and other wings, besides India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan Cricket Board.”

“Our target is to play cricket round the year and develop the skills and techniques of players by playing on different wickets and conditions before breaking into the national team,” Kawser told The Independent.

“Our aim is to see that players don’t falter playing on different wickets and in different conditions. We want to ensure that they aren’t afraid of facing any express bowler,” he added.

The BCB plans to appoint foreign coaches at age-level cricket so that they excel in fielding, bowling. and batting alongside their fitness from the age-level cricket. It has also planned to increase the number of selectors for these levels of cricket. Currently, four selectors are assigned for the job. They are Sajjad Ahmed Shipon, Ehsanul Haq Shezeen, Hannan Sarker, and Hashibul Hossain Shanto.

It is learnt from BCB insiders that the board will increase the number of selectors from four to eight for age-group cricket. Recently, the board has given a separate room for its existing selectors.

In the aftermath of the Sri Lanka series and ICC Cricket World Cup, Bangladesh’s worst performance in the fielding department was discussed. The BCB asked its fielding coach. Ryan Cook, to submit his report to the board on why players fared so badly in fielding department in the back-to-back tournaments.

In his report, Ryan Cook informed the board that the players did not know the fundamentals of fielding. And the national team is not the right place to learn the basics of fielding for players. For this, they have to focus more on age-level cricket, according to his report.

Since then, the board has started taking effective measures for the development of the cricket at age-level teams.

Of late, they have got UNICEF, a global organisation, at age-level cricket as the sponsor partner, which showed their keen interest to work with the BCB. An Under-14 National competition will start from December with the BCB and UNICEF's joint partnership. Initially, the board will get Tk. 2 crore from UNICEF.

As of now, the board will have no dearth of financial assistance at age-level cricket and could easily appoint foreign coaches for the development of the teams.

BCB focuses on age-level cricket

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is focusing more on age-level cricket, along with senior-level cricket, in view of the changed scenario of the international cricket. It wants to ensure the production of potential and quality players as they are mulling to form separate squads for three formats in days to come. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has brought changes in the game strategy and formulated far-reaching development plans for different formats after consulting with its member countries. The introduction of the World Test Championship (WTC) and ODI League, coupled with the new arrangement of the ranking system in Twenty20, One-day and Test cricket, is part of its new programme. Unlike other nations, Bangladesh have to shift its game approach and devise different mechanisms for different formats both at domestic and international cricket to cope with these changed circumstances. The BCB has, meanwhile, drawn up a long-term plan for its overall cricket. As part of its changed strategy, the board is now focusing more on its age-group teams, along with senior teams, including the A team, the emerging team, and the high-performance (HP) team after its national outfit. They signed up many bilateral and reciprocal series with different countries for those teams so that the players could get chances to play round the year. Along with that, the board aims to give these young players international exposure and make them get used to playing on different wickets and in different conditions. Currently, the BCB has a long-term agreement with India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Afghanistan cricket for its age-group cricket along with other senior teams. Speaking on the issue, AEM Kawser, senior national manager of the BCB Games Development, said: We had an agreement with West Indies, New Zealand, England for our U19 along with HP and other wings, besides India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan Cricket Board. Our target is to play cricket round the year and develop the skills and techniques of players by playing on different wickets and conditions before breaking into the national team, Kawser told The Independent. Our aim is to see that players dont falter playing on different wickets and in different conditions. We want to ensure that they arent afraid of facing any express bowler, he added. The BCB plans to appoint foreign coaches at age-level cricket so that they excel in fielding, bowling. and batting alongside their fitness from the age-level cricket. It has also planned to increase the number of selectors for these levels of cricket. Currently, four selectors are assigned for the job. They are Sajjad Ahmed Shipon, Ehsanul Haq Shezeen, Hannan Sarker, and Hashibul Hossain Shanto. It is learnt from BCB insiders that the board will increase the number of selectors from four to eight for age-group cricket. Recently, the board has given a separate room for its existing selectors. In the aftermath of the Sri Lanka series and ICC Cricket World Cup, Bangladeshs worst performance in the fielding department was discussed. The BCB asked its fielding coach. Ryan Cook, to submit his report to the board on why players fared so badly in fielding department in the back-to-back tournaments. In his report, Ryan Cook informed the board that the players did not know the fundamentals of fielding. And the national team is not the right place to learn the basics of fielding for players. For this, they have to focus more on age-level cricket, according to his report. Since then, the board has started taking effective measures for the development of the cricket at age-level teams. Of late, they have got UNICEF, a global organisation, at age-level cricket as the sponsor partner, which showed their keen interest to work with the BCB. An Under-14 National competition will start from December with the BCB and UNICEFs joint partnership. Initially, the board will get Tk. 2 crore from UNICEF. As of now, the board will have no dearth of financial assistance at age-level cricket and could easily appoint foreign coaches for the development of the teams.