Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul has chosen not to criticise the national team, despite their underwhelming performances during the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh showed promise in the Test series but ultimately fell short. They then let slip opportunities in the ODI series, losing 2-1 despite having chances to secure a series win. The T20I series also began poorly, but the team managed to bounce back with a win in the second match, setting up a series decider in Colombo on 16 July.
Bulbul, who assumed the BCB presidency on 30 May following the removal of Faruque Ahmed, has yet to witness significant team success during his short tenure. The team was whitewashed in the T20I series against Pakistan earlier in his reign, followed by defeats in both the Test and ODI series in Sri Lanka. Despite these setbacks, the recent T20I victory has given Bangladesh a chance to end the tour on a positive note.
Speaking to the media during the opening ceremony of the 39th National Badminton Championship at the Wooden Floor Gymnasium in Paltan, Bulbul reflected on the team’s performances.
“I would usually analyse a series once it’s over, but looking at what we’ve seen so far, in the Test series, we had a winning position in the first match. We lost the second. In the ODIs, with a bit more sensible cricket in the first game, we might have won that as well. We ended up losing the final match too,” Bulbul said. “In the first T20, we didn’t play well. But we played well in the second and deserved the win. One match remains. I think there are areas to improve, but overall, I believe the team is performing well. If we carry this momentum forward, we can win the series.”
Bulbul’s stance contrasts with that of his predecessor, Nazmul Hassan, who was often outspoken about the team’s performances. Hassan frequently voiced strong opinions on matters such as team selection, batting order, and even decisions at the toss. Bulbul, however, has made it clear that he does not believe in publicly commenting on team affairs in his role as president.
One decision that drew criticism after the second T20I was the promotion of Mehidy Hasan Miraz ahead of T20 specialist Shamim Hossain in the batting order. Despite the team winning the match, the move was widely questioned. Bulbul, however, declined to second-guess the call.
“As president, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to make comments on team decisions,” he said. “There’s always a strategy behind these calls. Every player has a role and a game plan. Sending Miraz up the order may have been part of that. If I were the coach, maybe I would see it differently, but as president, it’s my duty to support the decisions taken by the team.”