Bulbul says election campaign an eye-opener, awaits outcome

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul reflected on his four-month tenure and the board's recent progress as he faced the media on Sunday, the final day before the board of directors' election on Monday.

Joined by BCB vice-president and chairman of game development and cricket operations, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, Bulbul said the day was an opportunity to share their experiences from the past months in Bangladesh cricket.

"My tenure has been four months, and thirteen for Fahim bhai. Today, we wanted to share what has been achieved during this time," Bulbul said.

Asked about the incomplete projects and his plans if re-elected, Bulbul clarified that he is contesting as a director, and the leadership structure will depend on the newly elected board. However, he was optimistic about continuing the progress seen during his brief spell.

"Based on my four months' experience, I can say I've received full cooperation from all ten directors, as well as BCB officers and staff. Together, we achieved several things," he said.

Bulbul highlighted the national team's on-field success, including four consecutive T20 series wins, along with achievements across different levels of the game.

"The women's team began their World Cup campaign after proper preparation. The Under-19s became Tri-Nation champions in Zimbabwe, and both the 'A' and High Performance teams toured Australia. These are major achievements under Cricket Operations, where I work with Fahim bhai."

He also pointed to the "Triple Century" initiative -- aimed at decentralising cricket -- as a key milestone.

"We started decentralising cricket and have already seen promising results. In Chattogram, we organised a regional event involving 11 districts, which turned out very successful. In Rajshahi, we held Under-16 and Under-19 tournaments. Through Game Development, we upgraded nearly half of the coaches from 64 districts."

For the first time in the country's history, a Level-3 coaching course was conducted, while internationally acclaimed figures such as Simon Taufel and Tony Hemmings were invited to conduct training for umpires and curators.

"We even held a curator training course and organised Level-A coaching for Category-3 organisations. These were collective efforts by the ten directors, which showed our potential," he said.

Bulbul stressed that the board is now looking beyond Dhaka's club cricket, aiming to build a strong grassroots structure through district and sub-district engagement.

"We plan to rename district councillors as district presidents and work through them to expand cricket to every corner of Bangladesh."

On a lighter note, responding to a question about communication gaps with the media, Bulbul said his workload was extensive due to his roles with both the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

"There's nothing like blocking anyone. It's just that my workload is huge. The ACC made me chairman of development, and sometimes I wish the day had 30 or 32 hours!"

He described his first election campaign experience as "eye-opening", particularly during visits to the 17 districts of Dhaka Division.

"The passion and planning I've seen in these 17 districts are inspiring, and if we can replicate that across all 64 districts, Bangladesh cricket's potential is enormous," he said.

Bulbul acknowledged the need for better biomechanical, rehabilitation, and sports science facilities -- areas identified through BCB's "Share and Care" program with players. He also invited constructive media criticism to help the board improve.

"We'll always need your support, and your constructive criticism, to identify our weaknesses and improve further."

As the election nears, Bulbul said he is focused on learning from the process rather than predicting outcomes.

"Everything has a first time, and I'm learning every day. Let's see what happens tomorrow. The Election Commission will decide whether it's an ideal election -- ups and downs are part of the process."

Reflecting on his short tenure, Bulbul said teamwork was his biggest achievement.

"We managed to organise big programs with just two days' notice. That teamwork was my greatest success," he said, adding that his biggest area for improvement was communication.

He ended on a unifying note: "At the end of the day, we all shake hands -- like in cricket. No matter who wins, we must work together for Bangladesh cricket. That's the key."