Discussions have been going on for a long time about improving the quality of domestic cricket in Bangladesh. This time, cricketers have raised questions about the failure of the national team and the quality of the players. There is a lot of criticism about the gap between the performance in the national league and the performance in international cricket in particular.
National team selector Abdur Razzak told reporters on BCB today, 'To be honest, everyone is now busy with T20. National League or domestic four-day cricket is not given much importance. But we call the national league the home of cricket. Players have to be made from here.'
National team selector Abdur Razzak also said, 'Though the national league is the home of our cricket, performing in the national league and playing in international cricket are not the same. A player may score 100 runs in one National League match, but his performance is not the same the next time around.'
He further said, 'The standard of the national league is not close to the standard of the international matches, though there has been some improvement. However, if the game plan and mentality of the cricketers can be changed, it is possible to reduce that deficit a little. Explaining the matter, Razzaq said, 'There is a stark difference between a national league, county cricket or an Australian first-class match and an international Test match.'
Cricketers in Bangladesh are increasingly inclined towards T20. This trend is especially seen among young cricketers. But despite the good income from the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) held in Dhaka, a large section of players are still more inclined towards the T20 format.
The BCB selector said in this context, 'The excessive inclination of the cricketers towards the T20 format is hindering us from concentrating on the four-day matches. Although I think it is possible to earn more from Dhaka Premier League. Still the inclination towards T20 has increased. The mental and physical preparation that the cricketers get in the four-day matches will benefit them a lot in Test cricket. But now the focus of domestic cricket is completely shifting towards T20 cricket.'
Currently many young cricketers in Bangladesh are performing well in the domestic league. But they need more improvement to play at the international level. Razzak said, 'We still have several young cricketers who are very promising. But they will need more time to prepare according to the standards of international cricket.
Apart from this, he further said, 'Many cricketers are performing well in the national league, but it is not easy for all of them to get a chance in the national team. Because, it is not possible to decide after watching one or two tournaments. We should monitor young cricketers and give them opportunities to improve.'
Meanwhile, former national cricketer Sabbir Rahman did not get a chance to play in the national league for Rajshahi. As a result, Razzak also commented on his chances in the upcoming National League T20 and said, 'The departmental coach and manager asked us that Sabbir should not be kept in the four-day match. But I believe, Sabbir will definitely get a chance in the T20 format.'
