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Sorry Tamim, but Bangladesh Still Aren’t Ready For Tests

Posted on | June 4, 2010 | 9 Comments

Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladeshi hero of the first Test, got pretty upset with me during the five days at Lord’s and took exception to me telling Channel Five viewers that I didn’t think Bangladesh should be playing Test cricket.

He was reported in newspapers as saying: “I was watching TV last night when I saw him (Me) commenting that Bangladesh should not be playing Test cricket. I felt very bad and could not sleep until 1 am. It made me determined to do something to show him on the field. We are a developing team and we really deserve some support from a person like Mr Boycott”.

Apparently my view that they are not a Test team motivated him to score a fantastic hundred. Well, if I can do that with one quote on TV perhaps they should hire me to be the motivational coach – I could do with the money.

I met the lad on Monday morning and there’s no doubt he’s superstar material. He’s 21 years old, good looking and he’s got an exceptional talent. But he needs to harness it. On the plus side he’s got ‘quick eyes’ and Viv Richards and Brian Lara had the same gift which allows a batsman to pick up the length of the ball much quicker than ordinary mortals. He’s got super timing, quick feet, fast hand-eye co-ordination and lots of shots. He pulls well, keeping the ball down, drives superbly and is just a naturally gifted stroke player. The problem is he gets so excited with it all that he suddenly has a wild ‘yahoo’ occasionally at a good length ball and that sort of thing will get him out.

Without changing his game he needs to realise that part of batting is being selective in the shots you play. Occasionally bowlers produce a ball which you must defend and to give the lad credit he told the viewers he wanted ‘to learn from Mr Boycott he was the best at defence’.

After talking to him I was asked if I had changed my view on Bangladesh’s Test status and quite simply the answer is ‘no’.

Cricket is about batting AND bowling and while the batting is quite good with Kayes, Siddique, Islam and Mahmudullah they can’t bowl for toffee. At Lord’s, particularly in the second innings when England scored 160 in a session, they weren’t even Minor County standard and I’ve seen better bowling in a benefit match. If you can’t take 20 wickets in a match how are you ever going to win? The batting gave us all a lot of pleasure but that woeful bowling inevitably brought a 58th defeat in their 67th Test.

I stand by what I said when I gave the Cowdrey lecture back in 2005. ‘These are smashing people, there is some talent there and they deserve better. It destroys morale and talent to keep getting hammered. It ruins confidence and holds back their advancement and I believe they should be playing against sides of equal or slightly better ability. It’s the stick and the carrot. Too much stick is no good for anybody and there has to be a chance of some success or what point is there in playing.

‘I honestly believe that the ICC should be ashamed of itself for allowing this devaluation of Test cricket to continue. Doing nothing is the politician’s way and it’s totally unacceptable. To look at it positively, the ICC could arrange overseas tours to play the state sides in Australia, provinces in South Africa, the islands in the West Indies, the states in India and the counties over here. In that way they would be able to grow, become accustomed to conditions overseas, learn from others and have a chance of winning a couple of games which would do wonders for them and put a stop to this meaningless cricket’.

Nothing has happened since to change my point of view.

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Comments

9 Responses to “Sorry Tamim, but Bangladesh Still Aren’t Ready For Tests”

  1. greyblazer
    June 4th, 2010 @ 4:05 pm

    Sir,

    I’m a big fan of your comments and I would be grateful to you even if you just glance at my cricket blog.

    http://greyblazerr.blogspot.com/

    I think Bangladesh’s batting is improving as most of their batsmen average more than 30 which wasn’t the case before but they need some decent seamers. I think the young guy Shaiful looks like a decent quick.

  2. Mayank Jhaveri
    June 4th, 2010 @ 8:11 pm

    Hello sir

    Firstly,I have to say,you were my favourite commemtator sir.When I heard about Tamim’s comments about you after the century,I was a little surprised.I felt Bangladesh were improving,and they deserbed a chance at the best level of cricket.
    However,I have to agree that their bowling is as ordinary as India’s on the Zimbabwean tour right now.I think article changed my mind and I agree that probably they aren’t good enough for this level.

    Regards
    Mayank Jhaveri
    New Delhi,India

  3. Mayank Jhaveri
    June 4th, 2010 @ 8:48 pm

    Sir

    I would like to also ask your comments about the Zimbabwean team.I think if they have I more good fast bowlers,then they could make a test team.They have good batsmen and spinners.Andy Blignaut is a good allrounder as well.
    I would love to know your comments about the same.

    Mayank Jhaveri
    http://freehit-cricketanalysis.blogspot.com/

  4. Stephen Partridge
    June 7th, 2010 @ 9:52 am

    Hi Geoffrey, I heard you on the TMS podcast saying that Bangladesh are not a test quality side. I agree with you. As a New Zealander it saddens me to say that I don’t think New Zealand is either, nor the current West Indies side. Is it time for a two division test championship?

    I was also struck by something that the head of American cricket said in his interview – that the US Masters shows that Americans will happily spend hours watching a sport that unfolds over three or four days – but they will only watch the best players.

    I’d like to see a first division of the top five teams playing each other once, home and away, every four years, in proper five test series. I would also like to see a Barbarians style wandering club formed, of the best players of the rest of the world to play two or three tests a season to make up the schedule.
    The second division would be made up of the lower ranked sides, with a second Barbarians team made up of the best players from the associate nations.

    Once every four years the top team of the second divison and the bottom team of the first division play off in a three test series for the right to play in the top divison for the next four years.

    This would: improve the quality of test cricket; preserve the Ashes (as long as both England and Australia stay in the top five!); give the best players from poor sides (like Tamin, Vettori, Ross Taylor, Chanderpaul etc) the chance to play in a competitive side, against quality opposition; give good players from the associate nations a career path that includes test cricket while still being available for their own country.

    The only drawback I can see is that the ICC World XI was a disaster. But I think, if the Barbarians ethos was nurtured and those players began to bond as a unit, the pride of being part of a set up like that along with the opportunity to prove themselves at the top level they could become a great, and entertaining, side. Imagine Tamin and Gayle opening together!

    What do you think?

    Cheers

    Stephen

  5. ahmed
    June 10th, 2010 @ 2:51 pm

    I am not completely agreed with Mr.Boycott.Yes,you made a very good point that they have not more quality bowlers.But still Shahadat Hossain took 5wks in first test,Shakib took 5wks in the 2nd test.The best bowler Mashrafee Bin Mortaza struggling with injuries,still I think they did well in England with their new bowlers.Did not they ?
    They need a quick bowler.Still a cricket team like India could not provide a quicker who can bowl 140-145kmph in a regular basis.How could Bangladesh do?They need some time.They are improving.They have got a bunch of good cricketers who has the talent.Just let them play 2/3 years more around the world.You will get your answer Mr. Boycott.

  6. Hasan shariar
    June 10th, 2010 @ 7:46 pm

    i totally agree with what you said about bangladesh.i think icc should have looked at the cricket structure rather than anything else before they gave bangladesh test status.but the problems remain the same,almost 10 years from now there is no good cricket structure for delivering a test player.if things go on this way,bangladesh is never going to improve.the talent like tamim will be wasted,i am afraid.

  7. Samiul
    June 10th, 2010 @ 10:38 pm

    Hi Geoffrey,

    When I was a teenager in Bangladesh and had lots of time (had enough time to watch international cricket games of course) I always enjoyed your commentating. And I have great respect for your views.

    I think, in almost all the ways, you are correct about Bangladesh’s current situation. Every time I see Tamim Iqbal play, he reminds me of either Brian Lara or your one of the favorites, Prince of Calcutta – Sourav Ganguly.
    Bangladesh obviously needs some fast pitches. But do you not think that more Bangladeshi players should be called to India and play in the leagues? Same with county cricket, I am sure Tamim Iqbal, Shakib-Al-Hasan, Junaid Siddiqui and Imrul Kayes won’t mind.
    I am a fast bowler myself, and still am. I spent most of my life in Bangladesh and remember struggling to bowl bouncers on wickets and losing hope. Genetically, most Bangladeshis fall in “short person” category. And every now and then when I see bowlers like Shahadat from Bangladesh, I totally feel that they are not taking the best use of their height. He could bowl from a little closer to the stumps and maybe use a shorter run-up to focus more on swing/length/line, don’t you think? Do you have any other hopes for Bangladeshi bowlers other than what you’ve mentioned of already?

    Thanks

    Samiul

  8. Dean @ Cricket Betting Blog
    June 11th, 2010 @ 8:36 pm

    Sorry GB, but I can’t agree with this view.

    I heard you on TMS saying Bangladesh should have played more 1st class cricket against county championship sides, or Aus state teams, and I agree that would have suited them more.

    ICC should have done that at the start of the process, as they should be doing it with the Ireland side now.

    We are where we are now, and it’s too late to do this with Bangladesh, it would be a massive backwards step and would be seen as relegation.

    I know it might sound daft, but I do believe that they are only 2-3 players short of being up there with West Indies, New Zealand etc.

    If you look back over their last 7 tests, they have only failed to score a century in one game.

    Despite the recent batting collapses at Old Trafford, their batting has been acceptable.

    I also believe that they won’t be too long finding a real top class spinner.

    It’s just their seem bowling thats the problem.

  9. AbroadStudy
    June 23rd, 2010 @ 8:23 pm

    Their main problem is they are not professional.When they go to field mostly they fight with their mind instead against the opposition.That hurts.Every time they hit the ball over the boundary,the spectators applauds.They feel pressured by this and they try to play another shots over the boundary for more clapping from the spectators.Cricket is not a game only for getting claps.IF you can finish the game,you are the hero.
    There are many little things where they have to look firstly,then the big things will be changed automatically.GOOD LUCK.

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