‘Defence will be the best offence’

As successful as this tour of Sri Lanka by the Bangladesh cricket team has been, it has also been one marred by off-field controversies and more than a little cloak-and-dagger.

At various stages, manoeuvrings behind the scenes, which have barely ever stayed behind the scenes, have taken a life of its own as it tumbled through the media machine. There has been one constant in all of these off-field distractions -- Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan.  

The latest has been Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's retirement from the T20I format. Hassan yesterday took his well-worn place behind the microphones to address the issue and as usual, assumed a central role. “I had a meeting with Mashrafe, Tamim [Iqbal], Mushfiqur [Rahim] and Shakib [Al Hasan] day before yesterday [Monday night]," Hassan told reporters at the Taj Samudra hotel in Colombo yesterday morning. "I told them that they had such a contribution to the nation's cricket that barring a disciplinary issue, no one, not me, not anyone could drop them. They would have to make their own exit plans.”

Despite his proclamations that he only knew that Mashrafe would step down and was unaware of his plan to retire, the mention of 'exit plans' is something that might raise eyebrows. It has been learnt that the meeting mentioned above was not altogether savoury, and to avoid adding to the innuendo let it just be said that the whole matter could have been handled better when it came to dealing with a cricketer of Mashrafe's standing.

One has to wonder if someone like Mashrafe, who has lifted the country's cricket from the depths of despair in 2014, has to endure an unsavoury retirement from a format, what message this sends to even other senior players, not to mention juniors.

“It is more than what he is as a player. I made him captain in 2014, and he did not even play the previous year. I made him captain because there is something extra in him,” these words of Hassan may seem like praise for Mashrafe, but as far as pattern of behaviour goes, it also seems like Hassan taking credit for the decision to promote Mashrafe and the successes that it brought. One can imagine that it is not something that a proud player like Mashrafe would be happy to hear. 

Inserting himself into the middle of team dynamics is something that Hassan has been doing for a while, and it has happened a lot during this tour. He did it with Mahmudullah Riyad's exclusion from the team for the second Test, and also with Mehedi Hasan Miraz's eleventh hour inclusion into the ODI squad.

It will be difficult to name another board president in cricket who involves himself to this extent in the running of the team. “I would have gone home today [Wednesday] if we won yesterday, but since we lost I have to stay behind,” Hassan said before the press conference started.

He was more than ready to answer the rumour that has been doing the rounds that Shakib Al Hasan was to be captain in the T20Is. He denied that, saying that if Mashrafe had decided to quit before the second T20I, then Shakib as vice-captain would have had to lead by default. He also strongly denied the rumour that there was a plan to jettison seniors like Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim from the format.

Before that, however, he also said that there were plans afoot to keep separate teams with separate captains with four or five specialists in each format, something that he added could not be enforced because there are performers in the team who could not be removed.

Both of those cannot be true; if plans were afoot to have separate teams with separate captains, then Mashrafe could not have been the captain of choice in either ODIs or T20Is. If specialists were the order of the day, then some seniors, not just Mashrafe, would have to fall by the wayside. It is in such contradictions that Hassan has often dealt.

Hassan has overseen the convolution of the selection process to an extent that the captain was excluded from the decision and the team manager made his representative. He then went on to have major public and private say behind each decision. The public part is the problem. If decisions like bringing new players into a format are made, then it should be discussed behind closed doors and the change should follow a process, preferably not one that involves the board president making contradictory statements to the media.

“I told the coach not to disturb the team now, and to make a parallel team of developing players,” Hassan squeezed that in to the conversation. It undermines the coach, the captain, the seniors and also the equilibrium of the side. The most unfortunate thing is that it is coming from the highest official in Bangladesh cricket. 

While the players will say that they do not think about the rankings because it is an unnecessary source of pressure before and during a match, once Bangladesh rose to number six in the ODI rankings by beating New Zealand on Wednesday, ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza could not help but say that 'it was a very important match for us, we knew that if we won we would go up to sixth'.

It is important not just because it eases their passage to the 2019 World Cup, but also because it is a certificate of their true standing in world cricket as the sixth best team. They usurped Sri Lanka to get to the sixth position, and on the tour of Sri Lanka Bangladesh not only kept pace with their then higher-ranked side but at times the Tigers looked the superior outfit in the Lions' den. Bangladesh first gave notice of their ODI prowess by beating India and South Africa in the 2007 World Cup, but even then wins were upsets.

It was not until they beat New Zealand 4-0 at home in October 2010 that wins became more commonplace. Even then they had to rely on Sri Lanka beating West Indies in February 2011 for the latter to slide down and allow Bangladesh's results before that to lift them to number eight in the world. But since then it has been the Tigers' doing, and it is fitting that they have moved ahead of Sri Lanka on their own steam to rise to number six.

Mushfiqur Rahim (R) and Mahmudullah Riyad brought all their experience to bear to take Bangladesh home from a tricky situation in the last tri-series match at the Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin on Wednesday. PHOTO: AFP

Asanka Gurusinha, Cricket Manager of the Sri Lankan team threw light on the positive attitude of the Bangladeshi cricketers after the tourists won the second Twenty20 international in Colombo by 45-runs to level the series.

“I guess Bangladesh came here thinking that they can win here. They are a strong side. It’s not ideal for us. We should have won all three series. Not good to say that we have drawn all three series as we were playing at home. We expected to win the series.” Gurusinha explained.

“They have played very good cricket. So have we but in patches. It’s disappointing to sit here and concede that we haven’t done well. End of the day the way they bounced back after the first game. They did well in all three departments of the game.” Sri Lanka’s Cricket Manager added.

Tigers pacer Mustafizur Rahman and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan shared seven wickets between them as Bangladesh gave their retiring captain Mashrafe Mortaza a perfect send-off at Colombo.

Fizz took 4-21 while Shakib captured 3-24 to help dismiss the hosts for 131 chasing 177 to win. The victory, which ended Bangladesh’s eight-match losing streak in this format, also helped the side secure a draw in the two-match series after they lost the opening game by six wickets on Tuesday.

It is now becoming quite routine that in a momentous victory, Shakib Al Hasan is one the best performers. He scored a century in Bangladesh's historic first Test win over Sri Lanka at the P Sara Oval in the country's 100th Test, and he scored a blistering 71 in Dambulla less than a week later to help Bangladesh take a lead in an ODI series against Sri Lanka for the first time.

So it was fitting that he was the player of the match in Bangladesh's series-levelling win over Sri Lanka in the tour-ending T20I, a win made all the more important as it was the last T20I match of inspirational leader Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.

Ever since his retirement announcement during the toss before the first match on Tuesday, this was going to be a series about Mashrafe's farewell, and fortunately for Bangladesh, although it did not spur them to action immediately, it did bring about a change in fortunes with yesterday's 45-run thrashing, a win that ended a streak of nine losses in the format.

There was one extra spotlight on Shakib, as he had been anointed by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan as the 'likeliest candidate' to succeed Mashrafe.

“I don't know yet, actually,” said Shakib when asked about his possible promotion. “I am not thinking about it, honestly. The next target for me is the Indian Premier League and to do well there. I don't even know when Bangladesh will next play T20Is.”

About the thumping win, he said: “It is important because we hadn't won the last eight games. The Asia Cup was our last good tournament. It was a big challenge for us in this game, after losing the first game. This is a satisfying win.”

A person who normally does not betray his emotions, Shakib had glowing words when asked if Mashrafe's exit made the match an emotional affair. “He is a special figure in the dressing room. Naturally everyone will miss him. We need support on and off the field, and there's no one more helpful than him. Nobody can play forever, so I wish him all the very best in life. I would want him to continue in the ODI team for a long time, and take Bangladesh cricket forward.

“It was important to send off Mashrafe with a win, but what was more important was to represent Bangladesh. I think what you saw out there was an expression of that pride.”

Earlier yesterday, the Bangladesh media had a meet with Sri Lanka legend Arjuna Ranatunga, who said that Bangladesh could win the 2023 World Cup. Shakib's words when made aware of that estimation by Sri Lanka's World Cup-winning captain was slightly uncharacteristic for the all-rounder, who usually keeps things close to his chest, while also reflecting the general mood of confidence in a team that has achieved the feat of drawing every series on a tough Sri Lanka tour.

“I think we have a very good chance in 2019 as well. The way we are improving, if we keep it up, I think we will have a very good chance. We lost to India in the 2015 World Cup. They played better than us in that game. Overall, if you look at our graph, we are doing well. We have some experienced, and young players who are performing really well. We are going in the right direction. I would fancy our team to do well in the 2019 World Cup. His [Ranatunga's] comment is a great compliment for us. It will always encourage us to do well.” 

It was in April 2015 when the two teams last met in 50-over cricket and Bangladesh simply knocked Pakistan out to whitewash them in the three-match ODI series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

When they meet at Edgbaston today, that memory might not have any relevance considering the fact that they are simply going to play a warm-up match where a team can even field all fifteen members. However, Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed said yesterday during an official press conference ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy that both teams would want to win.

"Over the past one-and-a-half years, Bangladesh have performed very well. The warm-up game is a good opportunity for both teams before the Champions Trophy. Both teams want to win so it's a good practice match to have. Over the past few years they've done well and we'll see its batsmen, like Tamim Iqbal, if we play in the semifinals," said Sarfraz.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza also stressed the significance of the match, saying it would be an important step to adjusting with the conditions.

"The practice match tomorrow is important. We played in Ireland and the conditions and weather seem totally different after coming here. So we have to adjust through these two [practice] matches so we can be ready before the important matches arrive," said Mashrafe during a press conference yesterday.

The Bangladesh skipper rated his opponents highly, saying they would be one of the contenders for the trophy.

"You never know. If you go by the history of Pakistan they are always a big side. In this sort of tournament the big sides are always under pressure. My gut feeling is that they are a very good side and they can destroy any team. So yes they have a very good chance in this tournament," he opined.

Bangladesh had a good tri-series in Ireland where most of the batsmen got runs and the bowlers did decent job, but ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was off-colour with the bat and he may take the chance in the warm-up game to get back among runs.

The Tigers will play their second and final warm-up match against India on May 30 at the Kennington Oval, where they will also play their first group match against England on June 1.