Not a typical innings report: BCB’s social media game misses the beat

In today's digital-first world, a cricket board's social media presence isn't just PR -- it's part of the matchday experience. And yet, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) continues to treat it like an afterthought.

Case in point: Bangladesh returned to T20I cricket after five months on Saturday, facing the UAE in Sharjah. The game was well underway -- Bangladesh had raced to 103 for 2 in 10 overs -- before the BCB's official Facebook page finally posted the playing XI. Ironically, the page's bio states: "Stay up-to-date with all the latest cricket news".

That's a glaring miss in the most fan-friendly format of the game.

In fact, the previous post on the page was over a day old -- celebrating the Emerging Team's win over South Africa. Between then and the toss in Sharjah? Not a single update. Not even a toss update.

Some may argue there was nothing to share. That's not true. Fans expect pre-match glimpses -- training shots, travel updates, dressing room buzz.

In this case, silence doesn't build anticipation; it kills it.

Part of the problem, it seems, is the absence of a dedicated media manager on this tour. That duty has fallen to team manager Nafees Iqbal, but the result has been low-quality videos provided to the media that do little justice to a national team.

This digital disengagement would be tone-deaf at the best of times. Right now, it's worse, as BCB is under heavy scrutiny, with the national team consistently underperforming amid mismanagement and controversies in the domestic circuit.

As a result, fans are likely to be frustrated. The least the board can do is maintain a basic line of communication and show they care about engagement beyond the boundary.

Bangladesh has over 60 million social media users – roughly one-third of the nation's population. Cricket is the country's heartbeat. Reluctance in updating digital platforms with basic developments of the game is not only outdated -- it's disrespectful to the fans who keep the game alive.