Mashrafe: Bangladesh 'succumbed' to BCB criticism at T20 World Cup; board should learn from BCCI

The Bangladesh players' inability to handle the BCB's criticism was a factor in their T20 World Cup blowout. That's the view of former captain Mashrafe Mortaza, who said that the board could have shown more patience with the team they believed was the best combination to go to the world event.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan, in his characteristic no-holds-barred style, blamed Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah for the Scotland defeat, in a press conference on October 18. Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur shot back in the post-game press conferences in the subsequent days, although Shakib said that he agreed with Hassan's broadside.

But it set forth a chaotic World Cup campaign for Bangladesh from which the focus kept deviating to what was being said off the field, rather than the cricket being played on it.

"The players succumbed to the pressure that came from the board's criticism," Mashrafe told Prothom Alo. "Cricketers try to find solace in the cricket board during bad times. BCB should have been more patient. If a player doesn't do well, you can drop him after the tournament but as long as they are in the tournament, it is better not to talk about them.

"The cricket board sent this team to the World Cup. You can't change the squad if someone does badly. You have to show patience. If you don't have that patience, you should have realised much before if this is your best team or not. When the coach, captain, selectors and board have all agreed this is the best team, you have to be patient with the team."

Mashrafe said that BCCI were an example in restraint when India lost the first two matches against Pakistan and New Zealand. "Regardless of what's being said, players and board should be united. Look at India. The BCCI is quiet despite so much happening.

"Nobody from their board says anything about the team's poor performance, despite what is being said in the mainstream media and social media. This is because they know what to do next," he said.

Mashrafe admitted that the players, too, should have kept quiet when they were not performing well. "When players aren't doing well, nobody will receive their words kindly. All they can do is play better in the next match.

"Players don't really need to say much. They have to play well to get out of their bad times, which is why there should be coordination between cricket board and players," he said.

Mashrafe however said that coach Russell Domingo should be answerable for the team's performance. Mashrafe has been highly critical of Domingo on Facebook, terming the Bangladesh team management as a "rehab centre" for South African coaches.

"The coach has to take responsibility. I don't think he had a particular plan for the World Cup. My question is: why does the new coach always experiment with our team? Why does the cricket board agree to it?

"I think the coach should be held accountable, even when he is given the freedom to do his work. When there's no accountability, when their salary is guaranteed for the next six months, the coaches don't care about anything. I think we have to think about the coach now," he said.