BCB has to get the head coach appointment right this time

After much melodrama, Russel Domingo finally resigned as the head coach of the Bangladesh national men's cricket team. He leaves by far the most divisive legacy – even historic match and series wins against India, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia can't compensate for his pragmatic, predictable strategic approach. 

With the Tigers facing a crucial period leading up to the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, stability is vital to achieve success next October-November. The responsibility is now on the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to hire the perfect coaching staff to continue our upward trajectory. 

To guarantee that, BCB should start off by taking care of the existing coaching panel. Allan Donald and Rangana Herath have undoubtedly improved our bowling department, especially Donald, bringing variation and increasing adaptability of the pacers. They should remain till the World Cup. Fielding remains our biggest weakness, so Shane McDermott should be released to bolster that department. 

Jamie Siddons should be retained. Although our batters flattered to deceive, the sparks are obvious – Miraz, Litton and even Shanto are showing their worth with the willow, with a host of others improving rapidly. Further work with Siddons might just bring out the best of these talented batters.

For the head coach's job, BCB needs to get rid of their obsession with high-profile foreign coaches. They have made a series of gaffes in the past, with poorly-planned contracts costing them millions in compensation. 

There are many talented local coaches who boast the same credentials as foreign candidates. After years of service in grassroots, Mohammad Salahuddin, the "spiritual guru" of Mushfiqur, Shakib and Tamim among others, deserves a crack at the hot seat. 

Khaled Masud Pilot's depth of cricketing knowledge is stark in the analysis shows he attends. The fact that he runs a cricket academy further enhances his understanding of the psyche of younger players. Aftab Ahmed, coaching in first-class cricket since 2015, is more than experienced enough to warrant consideration as well. 

If BCB decides to ignore local coaches (again), their focus should be on bringing up-and-coming coaches, over bringing star names. The "Rahul Dravid Experiment" acts as a warning – India have not lived up to the billing as egos as big as Dravid, Kohli, Rohit and Dhawan clashed, resulting in surprising team selections and listless performances. 

So far, the man heavily-linked to the job is Chandika Hathurusingha. BCB should steer clear of him – although he transformed our cricket with his technical nous, his sky-high ego ultimately made the dressing room toxic in his last year. Hiring him, with Khaled Mahmud Sujon as assistant, will hinder our progress.  

When appointing the head coach, BCB should not only make sure the coach is tactically sound, but also that they rely on data analytics. This is essential if we are to cope up with other teams. 

The bureaucrats should refrain from influencing team selections. Coaches and captains should have complete freedom to choose the team they think is suited best in conditions. Meddling will only hinder their progress. Coaches should also be grounded to guide the talented youngsters into performing consistently.  

The recipe for success is right in front of our eyes. England's Test team floundered badly, until they split coaching duties. Brendon McCullum transformed their red-ball fortunes with 'BazBall,' while Matthew Mott did an amazing job in white-ball cricket. 

Bangladesh might consider doing this – appointing a defensive coach for Tests and a progressive like Sridharan Sriram, Lance Klusener or Mohammad Salahuddin to improve their technical aspects, especially in batting. If all this is ensured, Bangladesh will be all set to succeed in the 2023 World Cup and beyond. 

Inqiad is a passionate Bucks fan and a certified Giannis stan. Contact him at [email protected]