With the T20 World Cup fast approaching, Bangladesh’s former chief selector and current BCB programme coordinator Minhajul Abedin Nannu has emphasised the importance of preparing on sporting wickets to succeed on the international stage.
He warned against complacency from playing on home-friendly pitches and called for realistic, competitive conditions to build the team’s confidence and adaptability.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Nannu said, “The best team should always take the field and go to the World Cup with the best results.” He added, “Team management must consider how players progress under different conditions. I feel before the World Cup, they should prepare themselves by playing on sporting wickets.”
Nannu also stressed the need to build depth in the squad, pointing out that consistent performance from every player in the T20 format is rare.
“Any country’s team must have at least 25 players ready at all times. Without this, you cannot succeed in this format, because not everyone performs equally in every match. When needed, you rotate players who are prepared.”
Meanwhile, Nannu expressed disappointment over Bangladesh’s decision to make five changes in the playing eleven during the final match of the recently concluded T20 series against Pakistan. After securing the series by winning the first two matches, Bangladesh had the chance to whitewash Pakistan but instead chose to test bench strength.
The team captain, Litton Das, explained the changes were mainly to manage player workloads, especially among pace bowlers.
However, Nannu felt this was not the right time for experimentation. “Winning two consecutive series is a huge achievement and boosts confidence for the next challenges,” he said. “In the last match, many new players were seen. Without experimenting here, Bangladesh could have finished a strong series against Pakistan.”