Test preparation a matter of individual responsibility

Bangladesh's preparation for the just-concluded Test series against Sri Lanka has come under fire after the 2-0 series loss.

The two-match series, which commenced after the Bangladesh Premier League, the ODI and the T20I series against the same opposition, saw Bangladesh batters struggle to put up the kind of resilience needed in the format.

Batters struggled greatly to perform up to expectations and on two considerably sporting wickets, batting frailty was the Tigers' biggest weakness.

Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto prescribed playing more domestic games, reiterated the quality gap between domestic and international cricket and also advised more A-team matches before national team tours to get an idea of the conditions. However, a packed domestic and international schedule has often pushed red-ball cricket down the pecking order. Case in point – The last edition of the National Cricket League (NCL) was played during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

Following the World Cup, national team players who would be part of the New Zealand Test series at home were told to play the final two rounds of the NCL and the Tigers subsequently reaped the benefits as they won the first Test against the Kiwis in Sylhet, their only win in this ICC Test Championship cycle till now.

"For preparation, there is no other opportunity except the national league [NCL] since the series keep on coming," Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Cricket Operations chairman Jalal Yunus told the reporters when asked about the players' preparations yesterday. "Which player gets a lot of time for Tests? There is no opportunity as such. When there are series, ODIs and T20Is are there. As a national team player, one has to adjust."

Bangladesh will be touring Pakistan and India later this year. Both the tours will feature two Tests each, with the India assignment featuring three T20Is as well. South Africa will also be touring Bangladesh for Tests only.

"It's seen that during the NCL, there is an international series. What we have to ensure is that when players do have the opportunity, they use it. We can't make it mandatory [participating in NCL or Bangladesh Cricket League] as there are problems. We tried a lot but it's not possible," Jalal said.

A BCB official, wishing to remain anonymous, argued that it is the players' responsibility to adapt and make adjustments for Test cricket in tight schedules.

"At this moment, no country gets that opportunity [to have excellent preparations ahead of Tests]. Players who play Tests and did not have white-ball international assignments after the BPL had individual training programs for red-ball cricket. Did India get enough preparation before the World Test Championship final? They didn't.

"What Australians do, they say 'I won't play IPL to prepare for a Test series'. That could be a way. The cricket dynamics have changed and it's the reality of every individual player. Would it have been possible to tell players not to play the Dhaka Premier League because we had Test Championship matches? That can't be done. We can't say that to players and it [preparing for Tests] has become an individual's responsibility," the BCB source said.