Russell Domingo
Bangladesh national cricket team coach Russell Domingo said on Tuesday that they would focus more on winning Test matches in 2020, putting behind the agony his charges suffered in the preceding year.
‘I think the big thing for us is to try and win some Test series. It’s important for us to try to improve our Test cricket and also win a Test match away from home,’ Domingo told New Age in a telephone interview from South Africa.
‘We want to win Test series. I don’t know how many Test series Bangladesh have won. We need to win Test series and I think it will be the most important thing for next [this] year,’ said Domingo.
Bangladesh in 2019 failed to win or draw a single Test match for the first time since 2010, forcing Domingo to give the format special emphasis as they were scheduled to play at least 10 Tests in the year.
Bangladesh’s mission in 2020 will start with a tour to Pakistan in January for three Twenty20 internationals and two Tests, though the fate of the series is still hanging in the balance.
Zimbabwe will arrive in March for one-off Test and five Twenty20 internationals before the Tigers travel to Ireland in May to play three one-day internationals.
Australia will come to Bangladesh to play two Tests in June before Bangladesh play five Test matches – three against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka and two against New Zealand at home in July and August.
They will then switch their attention to Twenty20s for the Asia Cup in September in Pakistan and ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in October-November.
Domingo has little concern for the shorter format, where they won four out of their seven matches last year.
‘Look, our Twenty20 team is improving. We made it to a final with Afghanistan in a tri-series. We beat India in India and could have easily won the series if we could have played a little bit smarter in the last match,’ he said.
‘I think the big thing is to try to get in the main phase of the World Cup. We have a qualifier match against Ireland [Namibia] and then we have to play against Scotland and Oman [Netherlands] in the first round match. I think it will be a big challenge for us before getting into the T20 World Cup,’ he said.
One big concern for Domingo, however, is the absence of Sakib al Hasan, who will not be available until November, 2020 due to his suspension though the South African hoped that the young cricketers would step up.
‘It’s a big loss. But it provides opportunities for young players to try to step up in his absence. The games will go on as we can’t control the thing,’ he said.
‘We need to get consistent performances from some players like Shanto [Nazmul Hossain], Nayeem [Hasan], Saif Hasan. We need to try these young batters in the system and give them some extended matches to get in.
‘We also need to make sure we manage the senior players like – Mustafiz, Riyad [Mahmudullah], Tamim well. I think that will be important. We will try to find some good fast bowlers and it’s going to be a big priority. These are the things we will be focusing in the next few months,’ he added.
Source: New Age.
