Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo insisted that they shouldn't "rush things" and felt his players would need time to return to international cricket. For the time being there is no competitive cricket around the world due to Covid-19 outbreak, and the international calendar seems to be in total disarray, reports Cricbuzz.
Bangladesh's last leg of their three-phase tour to Pakistan, their tour of Ireland and England and their two-match home series against Australia have already been postponed due to the pandemic, while their upcoming home series against New Zealand is also in doubt.
Domingo is well aware that when normalcy returns, cricket will again be played across the world, but opined that it couldn't be played without proper preparation.
"Obviously we're not sure when international cricket is going to start again but what's important is that before starting we get some time to prepare both physically and technically before we rush into a series again," Domingo said on Wednesday (April 22).
"The biggest challenge when we start I suppose will be getting players physically fit to start playing again. The players have been given individual training programmes and schedules. But being in the lockdown does limit your physical preparation considerably, so getting guys fit before we play again is of paramount importance," he said.
"No matter what you say, it is not easy to maintain the required fitness standards at this time. So, when the situation becomes normal, it will not be right to go down to play the series in a hurry. Before this, the whole team should have at least a few weeks at a practice camp. There is also the issue of being mentally fit after such a long break. There are also technical matters.
"Remember, cricketers for a long time haven't been at a net or at cricket. Therefore, after the break, the boys have to be fully fit mentally, physically and technically. That's why I said we can't rush into playing the series."
Domingo said that though he is expecting the return of Shakib al Hasan for the rescheduled two-match Test series against Australia with his one-year ban getting completed on October 29, both seniors and juniors need to perform as a unit if they want to do well.
Earlier Bangladesh Test skipper Mominul Haque had told Cricbuzz that he was not disappointed at the postponement as he would now have the services of Shakib after the reschedule was done.
"Very disappointed that we are not playing the big series against Australia, and a big tour to the UK against Ireland would have been great too. It is a big blow for us. The more Test cricket we play, the better it is us, so of course, I am very disappointed at missing out on them, particularly the series against Australia," Domingo added.
"Having Shakib is definitely a positive aspect. Not only Shakib, I am also thinking about the young players. Those players will get a chance to better prepare themselves against a team like Australia. We want to do something great in that series. For that, senior cricketers, as well as the youngsters, have to contribute.
"We've given chances to some young players in the national team. Among them are boys like Saifuddin and Naeem Sheikh. (Nazmul Hossain) Shanto has also started to perform. It is very promising for these youngsters to come forward as a team. They will soon become the nucleus. They are also in the radar of three or four senior cricketers. They are taking Bangladesh cricket to a much better place in the next few years - I can see this looking ahead."
Domingo further added that he doesn't feel that the newly appointed ODI skipper, Tamim Iqbal, will feel the pressure of filling the shoes of Mashrafe Mortaza, because of his wealth of experience and his contribution to the team.
"I am looking forward to working with the new [ODI] captain Tamim. I have enjoyed my time with him since he has been back into the squad after his break when we went to India. I am really pleased that he has been appointed. We looked at one or two other options available [for the new captain] as well.
But the board decided to go with Tamim and I think it is a very good decision. I am certainly looking forward to working with him in the future. I have enjoyed the way he has gone about his business and is ready to make Bangladesh a force in world cricket.
"It's hard for me to talk too much about Mashrafe. I don't know him that well. I have been involved in only a few games with him. So I don't know how he goes about his business. But look, Tamim is one of the Bangladeshi legends. He has performed unbelievably well. He is the leading run-scorer in all formats [for Bangladesh].
He has the pedigree and the knowledge of the game to lead the team well. So I don't think he will be under any more pressure than any international captain around the world is. I am expecting great things from him going forward," he said.
The South African is expecting his players to be refreshed once they return back to cricket after spending a lot of time with their families. While stating that he's keeping himself updated with the happenings in Bangladesh, he was looking at the positive side of things for the cricketers who've had this rare break and the rare opportunity to spend time with their families.
"The most positive thing for the cricketers is that they are getting close to their families. They don't have this fortune on most days. I believe that spending time with the family will get them more refreshed mentally. So whenever the game returns to the field, I hope they will return in a cheerful mood."
