Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan said he has zero hope of winning when the Tigers take on Zimbabwe in the lone Test match, starting Saturday at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.
Nazmul’s critical statement came on the back of the national team’s poor performances recently, and following a long closed-door meeting with the senior Test cricketers at the BCB office Wednesday.
In their last six Tests, Bangladesh have suffered five innings defeats and the only occasion when they didn’t concede an innings loss was against Afghanistan at home in September last year where the former lost by 224 runs.
And according to Nazmul, the defeat against the Afghans was the most humiliating in recent times.
"I have been seeing in the media in the last few days that things will be great after beating Zimbabwe. I don't see it happening. I have no hope. I told them [cricketers], if you take them lightly, it will be a big disaster. Zimbabwe are back to where they were. We are not where we were. They have recently performed better than us,” said Nazmul to the media in Mirpur.
Nazmul alongside head coach Russell Domingo Dhaka Tribune/Md Manik
"If someone asks me what was Bangladesh's worst performance at home, I'd say losing to Afghanistan. It was unacceptable. If we lose to Afghanistan, we can lose to Zimbabwe. We need to have a new mindset. Our seniors must take the major responsibilities, and it has to be a team game," he added.
Nazmul was also scathing in his assessment of Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque, terming him “shy” and “soft”.
He also believes Mominul should be backed by the seniors on the field.
"I told them, 'don't take Zimbabwe lightly.’ We must work in a planned way. Mominul is new, plus he is quite shy. Soft. I told Tamim [Iqbal] and Mushfiqur [Rahim] to be involved fully with regards to being involved with the team,” he said.
Earlier this month, Nazmul had come down hard on the national team for their below-par displays recently, and openly declared that he would from now onwards intervene with team operations and strategies.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto leaves a delivery while batting in the nets Dhaka Tribune/Md Manik
He reminded the media Wednesday of his intentions and that he has ordered the team to inform him of everything, including the playing XI and also the batting line-up.
"I want to know the game plan on the day before the game, and the playing XI," he said.
"Why? It started from the World Cup and then the Afghanistan series, there is a total change; nothing has happened the way I expected. Those who had never played in the top-order were given those roles. It was experimentation. In Pakistan too, what was told to me didn't happen.
"I have told them that they have to give me the batting sequence and cannot drop a player in one game and then pick him again. I understand that they want to try a few boys. Our coach, who is relatively new, wants to see the fast bowlers. But whatever happens, they have to let me know in advance," he concluded.
