Khaled Mashud is a reputation that has been entrenched in Bangladesh cricket from its early days.
A product of the U-19 system, Mashud rapidly grew to become the most effective pure wicket-keepers the nation had ever seen.
Son of former nationwide footballer Shamsul Islam Mollah, Mashud would go on to captain the nationwide aspect.
Nicknamed ‘Pilot’, he now works on growing cricket in Rajshahi and gave an unique interview to The Enterprise Customary on what he thinks of Bangladesh’s present cricketing panorama and if he could be prepared to work within the BCB now that the outdated regime is gone.
We’re seeing a wave of change all over the place within the nation, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board isn’t any exception. You’re a former cricketer and presently managing an academy. What are your expectations from BCB sooner or later?
Like everybody else, I’ve comparable expectations. As a former cricketer and a citizen of the nation, I need every thing to run easily and transparently. We’ve seen the decline of cricket. If we speak about 24 years in the past, we did not have a lot cash, but we made progress. However abruptly, that progress got here to a halt. Different nations began taking part in higher cricket than us.
What do you suppose induced this halt in progress?
Look, you do not should be a bodily beast to play cricket. Not everybody needs to be like (Kieron) Pollard or (Chris) Gayle. Virat Kohli, (Muttiah) Muralitharan, Brian Lara — they don’t seem to be sturdy. You will not discover anybody in our nation who would not love cricket. However corruption, lack of foresight, and poor planning have held us again; we’ve not been capable of transfer ahead a lot. Now there’s cash in cricket, there are model endorsements. Those that come to work right here achieve this to develop their very own enterprise, not for the event of cricket. Even when they do not profit immediately from cricket, they deal with increasing their enterprise by networking with numerous individuals. Cricket will not enhance this manner! However all that is up to now. The primary focus must be on how we are able to do higher sooner or later.
If given the chance, would you wish to work with the BCB?
I’m a cricket individual. I work with an academy in Rajshahi. But when I may work with the BCB, it could possibly be achieved on a bigger scale. As a result of there’s funding there, and entry to all of the instruments mandatory for cricket growth, I want to work if given the chance, as it could enable me to work on the nationwide degree and transfer ahead with greater plans.
You talked about corruption, in your opinion, what are the areas the place this corruption exists?
Corruption is all over the place. In Bangladesh, gamers come from two locations. One is BKSP, and the opposite is the District Sports activities Affiliation. Gamers aren’t coming from BKSP like earlier than. And the District Sports activities Affiliation is totally engulfed in corruption. Nobody related to cricket will get the chance to work right here. Those that come are both relations of a political chief or leaders themselves. They don’t have any concern for the sport. Consequently, there are not any leagues on the district degree now. So, the gamers who come from distant, leaving their houses to play, get pissed off. If there are not any leagues, the place will gamers come from?
So, what’s the way forward for Bangladesh cricket? How will we get gamers sooner or later?
Look, once we performed, we had been the most effective. After us, gamers like Mashrafe (Mortaza) and Shakib (Al Hasan) got here, who had been even higher than us. Now, logically, gamers higher than Mashrafe and Shakib must be coming. However gamers will not simply fall from the sky if there are not any correct leagues within the nation. Common leagues should happen. Your entire infrastructure must be revamped.
How massive is the distinction between us and different nations now?
This may be understood by trying on the pipelines of different nations. In India, gamers like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are able to take the place of legendary gamers like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. They’re pushing seniors to surrender their spots by their efficiency. Their sixteenth or seventeenth gamers are additionally of very top quality. We do not have such a pipeline due to an absence of will and the absence of normal play.
What’s your opinion concerning the earlier and present management within the BCB? What sort of management does the BCB want now?
(Nazmul Hassan) Papon Bhai was a really highly effective individual. No matter he needed was organized instantly. However the individuals round him weren’t very efficient. They had been searching for their very own advantages, they did not attempt to make Cricket nice. That is why we fell behind in lots of areas. BCB now wants a dynamic chief, somebody who may be very near the federal government and may get something achieved immediately. Whereas I converse extremely of Papon Bhai, I additionally say that every one the failures underneath him are his accountability. As a result of the chief has to take accountability for all failures. However I need somebody who’s a cricket individual, who genuinely cares about cricket and needs to take it far ahead, to return and lead.
We’ve a brand new sports activities advisor, and there have been many modifications all over the place. Do you’ve got any requests from this new authorities?
I view every thing positively. I imagine the brand new authorities will begin every thing anew. I need to give them time — let’s have a look at for a couple of extra years. We have seen sufficient to this point; it would not damage to attend a bit extra. I am not saying the earlier authorities was dangerous or something. However I am in favour of giving time to the brand new individuals who have are available in. I imagine the youth will take the nation ahead. They’re the current and way forward for the nation. So, I count on them to depart their mark in each discipline.
