Domingo’s contract extended till 2023
Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo advocates opting for the typical strategy of utilising the home conditions to gain confidence, even if the victories may seem pyrrhic.
Now that Domingo, appointed on a two-year contract earlier back in August 2019, got his contract extension till the end of 2023, it will be interesting to see how, and if, his mindset changes with the vision of the long-run.
"Yes, we have decided to extend Domingo's contract till the end of the ODI world cup [October-November, 2023]. And regarding other members of the coaching staff, we will arrive at a decision soon," Akram Khan, chairman of cricket operations committee of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), told The Daily Star.
Prior to the Zimbabwe tour this year, doomsday had loomed large for the Tigers under Domingo as they were desperate to return to winning ways after a string of inconsistent performances across the formats, especially in the Tests, at home or otherwise.
When push came to shove, the think-tank once again took the go-to approach of preparing slow and low pitches for the home series against Australia. Eventually, it all paid dividends though, as Bangladesh went on to register a historic 4-1 series win over the Aussies for the first time in the shortest format.
Domingo admitted that Bangladesh have a lot of room for improvement in T20 cricket, and pressed the need to instill confidence through the act of winning matches as well.
However, there were questions concerning on whether the sluggish pitches in Mirpur, which produced low-scoring totals throughout the latest series, can be part of an ideal preparation for the Tigers ahead of the ICC World T20 later this year, and with that in mind, should there be better sporting tracks for the upcoming home series against New Zealand?
"The runs depend on which type of pitch you are playing as chasing 200 runs was not that difficult in Zimbabwe and I know that we have to score big runs but that should be in good wickets. I am hoping for a better pitch against New Zealand however I know that we won't be getting a pitch that will have seam movements. So I am looking forward to a sporting wicket for the batsman. Whether you score 140 or 180, wins always give you confidence. So please try to remain positive, okay? Be positive," Domingo told the media.
Despite being surprised at not seeing any members of the New Zealand World Cup squad for their upcoming Bangladesh tour, the South African believes the conditions in Bangladesh are not that far from being ideal in preparing for the world cup, which will take place in the Middle East later this year.
"There is a scope to beat any opponent from such a series and it is very important to gain self-confidence. I know the fact that we still have to improve a lot in all the departments," he said. Now, it remains to be seen whether Domingo keeps sticking to his confidence-gaining mantra at home over the next couple of years and more as Bangladesh are yet to become a consistent side while touring abroad.
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