Domingo’s wrath against seniors dismantles Tigers camp
Minhaz Uddin KhanSports
Before a major tournament every team look to increase harmony, an integral part of cricketing success, and pluck the gaps.
But Bangladesh team heading to the T20 World Cup next month in Oman and the United Arab Emirates are claimed to be in disarray amid confusion and disharmony.
It is not only the players or the team management who are involved in the thick of action but also some influential decision makers of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and interestingly the findings point against one common individual – head coach Russell Domingo.
Based on the recent happenings in the national dressing room, there are whispers as well as unending speculation amid the cricketing fraternity.
Domingo, the central character of these discussions, is being compared to the controversial former Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha.
Chandika was in direct collision with the senior cricketers back then like ODI captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Shakib al Hasan and Mahmdullah, for his set of reservations and questionable visions.
It is being claimed by majority now that Domingo is walking through the same path of Chandika.
There is however, a big difference between the two – Chandika had a bolder approach, while former South Africa cricketer Domingo is trying to sneak through towards his vision when there is an opportunity.
Such mindset towards Domingo has been triggered with the series of happenings in the dressing room recently involving the seniors in the form of Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib.
Mahmudullah’s surprising decision to retire from Test cricket during a game in Zimbabwe in July this year was the first chapter of the saga.
Mahmudullah, following a last-minute inclusion in the Test team, had returned to the format after 18 months and he marked it with a match-saving 150 not out.
The middle-order batsman however, shocked, first the dressing room then the rest, by announcing it to be his last Test match.
The dressing room duly reacted, giving Mahmudullah the guard of honor on the last day of the Test in Harare but BCB is yet to accept the decision.
President Nazmul Hasan insists that he will speak to Mahmudullah on the issue which is believed to have been triggered by Domingo.
As per media reports, Mahmudullah had been waiting for an opportunity to play a Test since he got dropped and Domingo had told him to retire from the format.
The senior pro thought bidding adieu with a 150-run knock will allow him to leave the arena with his head high and giving a proper response to his doubters.
Last week Tamim left Bangladesh cricket shaken when he revealed his decision to not play the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The left-handed batsman cited that he did not want to take place of openers who have been playing in the format more regularly than him in recent times, and also showed the long knee injury as a reason to not play the world event.
The trigger behind Tamim’s surprising decision to opt himself out from the tournament soon got revealed in the media.
It is understood that when Tamim’s name was put on the table in a selection meeting, questions were raised regarding the process and head coach Domingo pressed that a junior player will have to pave way had Tamim got included.
It is learnt that members of the national selection panel rebuffed Domingo’s theory, but not Tamim’s senior teammates who were present in the meeting.
Tamim somehow got to know of the entire episode from the selection meeting and the opener didn’t take long to make his mind on withdrawing from the T20 World Cup.
The left-hander was quite upset with the entire development as he believes that since he has served the team for more than 14 years, there shouldn’t be any questions raised when he is fit to play, much as it happened with Shakib before.
Shakib had directly got back his place in the team after coming from a one-year ban imposed by the International Cricket Council.
Another senior cricketer Mushfiq also missed three T20 series in a row recently but is well back to his place.
After Tamim it was now Mushfiq’s difference with Domingo for the world to know.
The prominent wicket-keeper of Bangladesh team has decided to no longer keep wickets in T20Is.
Before the start of the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand, Domingo announced that the wicket-keeping duty in the series will be split between Mushfiq and Nurul Hasan and that the latter will take the onus in the first two games.
But as it transpired, Mushfiq didn't keep wicket in the third T20I Sunday and media reports suggest he had made up his mind to leave the job right after Domingo’s surprising announcement ahead of the series.
Mushfiq was not seen taking part in wicket-keeping drills in any of the training sessions since Domingo’s announcement.
According to sources close to the team, the team management’s decision powered by Domingo to split the wicket-keeping job did not go down well with Mushfiq.
But the real shock for the senior player was perhaps the public announcement by Domingo.
Domingo while speaking to the media Sunday said they have to quickly put the attention on Nurul now to be the No 1 wicketkeeper going into the T20 World Cup.
Coming to the last senior of the lot – Shakib, the left-handed batsman is understood to be not very happy with the shuffling of his batting position that happened in the last two games against New Zealand.
Shakib was sent to bat at No 4 in two games despite having established himself as one of the best performers at No 3 in white-ball cricket for Bangladesh.
It has been learnt that the team management with Domingo in the lead believes that this will allow Shakib some room as he is not being able to score enough.
Shakib looked restless in the third match and got out playing a loose shot.
The southpaw, who is just one wicket away from becoming the joint highest wicket taker in T20Is, also failed to get any wicket as Bangladesh lost the match by a big margin.
However, Mushfiq played a weird innings as he scored unbeaten 20 off 37 and the team got bundled out for 76 while chasing 129.
The innings is unprecedented and surprising from a fighter like Mushfiq.
Skipper Mahmudullah, who reached the milestone of 100 T20Is as the first Bangladeshi in the third match, also looked completely out of sorts and confused.
All in all, despite a comprehensive series win over Australia and leading the series against New Zealand by 2-1, the dressing room situation and body language of the players look bleak.
The situation is not ideal before a big global tournament.