Twenty20 can pose threat in the coming days

Back in 2003 – The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) introduced a format at the County level where each team will have 20 overs with a period of two and a half hours for each innings and a break time of 10 minutes after the end of first innings.

When the Benson and Hedges Cup ended in 2002, the ECB sought another one-day competition to fill with the younger generation in response to dwindling crowds and reduced sponsorship.

The Board wanted to deliver fast-paced, exciting cricket accessible to fans who were put off by the longer versions of the game.

Stuart Robertson, the marketing manager of the ECB, proposed a 20-over-per-innings game, invented by New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe, to county chairmen in 2001, and they voted 11–7 in favour of adopting the new format.

One year later, the format was launched on June 13 in a carnival atmosphere. It was an instant success.

I enjoyed watching it on Television because of the entertainment factor.

When it became a part of the international calendar, I did not bother at all as the world is changing and people need to think differently. Then came the Twenty20 Leagues which added a new pace to cricket and, yet again, I supported that.

But gradually, I discovered that the game of cricket is suffering.

I started realizing that a batsman and a bowler can’t be judged through 20 overs of entertainment as the 5-day format is the real place to judge a cricketer.

These days, I notice young guns boast about scoring a quick-fire 30 off 20 balls rather than emphasizing the technical and temperamental aspects of the game. They are not interested in featuring in a first-class team, rather, their target remains to be featured in a Twenty League team – especially – those from the Indian Premier League (IPL).

A strongly built youngster does not wish to bowl fast – rather – he is happy to contain a batsman without developing variations while the same goes for a young spinner.

If the target of the young generation remains such - they will start developing as a Twenty20 cricketer. For which they will not dare to sacrifice their national duties let alone featuring in the Test format and, I, deeply fear the future of the 50-over format.

Today, I have given up following the Twenty20 Leagues – but tend to follow International Twent20. Somehow, a voice inside me consistently tells me, this is not cricket at all and the fabric of this wonderful game may be destroyed by the powerful groups involved in this game.

The way the Twenty20 format and the Leagues are spreading – I worry about the future of cricket. I worry about a disaster where cricket may lose its appeal.

Overdose of anything is never good and no empire can be built at the sacrifice of the soul and for cricket Test cricket is its soul. Legends are made in this format and the shorter format can only create mediocre products.

Twenty20 format may transform into a demon and pose a threat to the soul of this game.

Twenty20 format is not cricket.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Bangladesh cricket needs Mohammad Ashraful

Mohammad Ashraful burst into the scene with a hundred against the mighty Sri Lankans in the Asian Test championship in 2001. He turned a terrible mismatch into a slice of history by becoming the youngest man or I guess I should tag him as a boy, to make a Test hundred. Bangladesh still crushed into a defeat, but "Ash" brought hope and consolidation with a dazzling hundred by continuously hitting the great Muralitharan dancing down the wicket over his head.

Ashraful was playing in his debut Test match.

Ashraful broke Mushtaq Mohammad's long standing record of the youngest Test batsman to score a test hundred. Ashraful had arrived on the scene and with this, the height of expectations reached its peak.

The burden of expectation was too much for a 16-year old boy.  He failed to live up to the expectations and lean patches had become a regularity. After continuous poor run of form, Ashraful was dropped during the 2003 England series. He returned again and demonstrated a glorious knock of 158 not out in defeat against the touring Indians in Chittagong in 2004. It was one of the best knocks I have ever seen by a Bangladeshi batsmen till now.

Also read: Bangladesh will roar

The next year Ashraful scored a hundred at Cardiff in the Natwest tri-series against the Australians to essay a stunning win against the World Champions. In their next match against England at Nottingham, Ashraful sliced the English attack into pieces by scoring a stroke-ful 94 off 52 balls. Bangladesh lost that match, but Ash's innings was the talk of the town.

The next year in 2006 Ashraful again failed to live up to the expectations. His poor form led him to be dropped from the final qualifying match against Zimbabwe in the ICC Champions Trophy in India. He was omitted from the home series against Zimbabwe in 2006. but stormed into the side with a storming 263 for the Dhaka division against the Chittagong division.

In the West Indies during the 2007 World Cup, Ashraful was the man to watch. His knock of 87 against the Proteas at Guyana in the super eight match was one of the finest in World Cup history. His execution of the paddle scoop off Andre Nel was jaw-dropping stuff. Riding on Ash’s quick-fire 87, the Tigers posted a fighting total which the Proteas failed to chase down as they were devoured by the Bangladeshi spinners.  

Habibul Bashar left the scene after being axed from captaincy and made way for Ashraful. He had his share of success with captaincy during the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 against the West Indies with a rollicking 62 and also the first ever victory against the Kiwis in the first ODI at Mirpur in 2008. But as time progressed, captaincy affected his own performance.

The way he was getting out at each and every match was painful for the eyes. As a captain he was never a sound one. His tactics were always back fired. Ashraful was getting lost within himself. Naturally an attacking cricketer, Ashraful, after becoming the captain, curbed his natural stroke making abilities and adopted the ploy of a defensive batsman.

And for which,  neither was he able to dominate the bowlers nor could he do well by applying his new ploy – he had been a big failure. The continuous poor form and the team's string of poor performances led to the end of his captaincy.

Even after being relieved of his captaincy Ash's performance remained frustrating and irritating for the Bangladeshi cricket fans. The media, which always supported him lost their patience as well. The axing of Ashraful was demanded by everyone. Mohammad Ashraful was axed from the England series of 2010.

But is this the end of Ashraful?

In my opinion, such talents must not meet a sad end. Ash is still young and still has a lot to offer. In terms of merit Ashraful is right there at the top. The manner with which he executes his strokes is simply mind-blowing. But after 53 Test matches and 158 ODIs, Ashraful's average of 22.78 and 23.72 in the respective games is frustrating. They only reflect on how poorly he has failed to exploit his talent.

Perhaps Ashraful must need to learn to manage his innings and polish his temperament and technique a bit more. He needs to get back to his natural style of play. Also, he needs to learn to switch gears according to the demand of the situation. He is in need of proper guidance and none can be better than Jamie Siddons.

Mohammad Ashraful is one of the assets of Bangladesh cricket. Every great and talented cricketer go through a dark phase. We have criticized him, but in the mean time, we have loved him as well. We don't want to lose him. Bangladesh cricket needs him.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Bangladesh will roar

Whenever Bangladesh enter into a Test series the first thing we hear from the cricket pundits, mostly from the west, is the eligibility of Bangladesh's Test status. They question the Tigers’ cricketing abilities in various fashions. But one thing they don't realize and which is, the time-period of our existence in Test cricket and the average age of our cricketers. Since our entry in Test cricket the graph of our cricket is not downwards but it's going upwards.

India made its debut as a Test playing nation in 1932. But they had to wait till 1952 for the first Test victory. NZL in its first ten years in Test cricket never tasted a Test victory. Sri Lanka from 1982-1992 in their first ten years in Test cricket won just two Test matches. In contrast Bangladesh’s results have been better. It have won three Test matches and those were series winning ones. A Test series win against the West Indies at their own backyard is a great achievement. Pakistan and Sri Lanka are yet to win a Test series from the West Indies. Bangladesh in its first ten years have won a Test series from abroad. India or Sri Lanka didn't achieve that. So, are the Kiwis!

Bangladesh are a young side. The average age is above twenty. To point finger towards this young side's ability is quite funny. Rather the critics must praise this young side’s efforts and guts. Bangladeshi young guns are giving their all on the field. Not a single sign of lackluster attitude is being noticed from them. But they are loosing. There remain the "ifs" and "buts". But these "ifs" and "buts" were part and parcel of all those teams who were in their early stage in Test cricket. Rome was not built in a day.

If we take a look on the individual performers then Bangladesh have been blessed with talents of rare breed. Their captain Shakib Al Hasan is the best left-arm spinner in the world and obviously the best allrounder at present. He is a genuine match winner who is always there when the team needs him. In Tamim Iqbal Bangladesh have an opener who can attack the bowlers and can make a mess of their line and length. In Mortaza they have a pace bowler who can fetch wickets according to the demand of the situation. Men like Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riad and Naim are the talents bustling with energy. These players can be deadly on their day. They have the ability to win matches. But perhaps the temperament isn't there. I would say it's the temperament which is denying the Tigers from victory.

But Bangladesh need to be optimistic. They must believe that they can win. Bangladesh is improving every day.  Our cricketing observers and planners must select those 5 to 6 players who are match winners and rotate other players around them. Bob Simpson and Imran Khan used such tactics. In a playing XI all aren't the best (except Lloyd's WI and Steve Waugh's Australia). It's those match winners who guides a team to its ultimate glory. And others perform under them. Even an average player does something amazing under those superstars.

Selecting the match winners is very important so as selecting those players who will rotate around them. The players who will play under the match winners must be well supportive. In the Mirpur Test against England, the Bangladeshi selectors played Razzak instead of Enamul Haque jnr. Razzak is an ODI stuff whereas Enamul Haque is much effective in the Tests. Enamul could have been a great support for Shakib rather than Razzak. That's why brains and not whims are needed. At present Shakib and Tamim (Ashraful and Mortaza's absence are handy) are the genuine match winners. But they lack support. There are players coming in the likes of Riyad and Rahim. But they need to be a seasonal performer. Bangladesh need a pacer to support Mashrafe. Rubel Hossain has pace but sadly he gets carried away. He needs nurturing and Mohammad Ashraful must wake up if he wish to prolong his career. 

Again, our Cricket Board needs to understand what actually the home advantage is. Even on the final day the pitch didn't turn. Why? Having two left-arm spinners in a team is not a joke. Spinners are our wicket takers. If they don't find something on the 5th day track then it's a pity state. Will England prepare such tracks when we tour them? No!

Overall, our cricket is improving. But the BCB should also act accordingly via a perfect planning. In the history of every successful cricket team there had been a Cricket Board blessed with smarter brains.

I hope the BCB will be such an institution. Bangladesh cricket will roar! And the critics’ mouth will shut down!

Thank You

Faisal Caesar