Lack of clarity clouds Tigers’ execution

Players often stress the importance of "execution of plans" ahead of any series or game. While carrying out the chalked-out plan is vital, it is paramount to formulate the right set of plans beforehand. The latter is something that should be orchestrated by the team management with clarity in mind, and that is precisely where the Bangladesh team management has failed miserably in recent times.

Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo has come under heavy scrutiny due to the Tigers' string of losses in recent outings. In fact, the South African coach has failed to rally his troops to any major victories -- barring the seven-wicket win in a T20I away to India in 2019 -- since being appointed in August, 2019. Hence, the 46-year-old finds his future as Bangladesh coach in jeopardy.

One major area of concern during the Domingo period has been a lack of ingenuity and steadfastness regarding the plans implemented.

Instead of reinstating Shakib Al Hasan to his preferred number three position in batting -- a position at which Shakib had put in an unparalleled performance at the 2019 World Cup and lent the Tigers the stability they had been seeking for years -- the team management opted to play Najmul Hossain Shanto at that position during the West Indies series earlier this year.

In another instance of murky and erroneous planning, the team management opted to force a finisher in Soumya Sarkar -- a player who usually plays at the top of the order and possesses the natural ability to play the new ball better. They decided to play the left-hander at number seven, his role earmarked to score quick runs at the death.

Both Najmul and Soumya's new roles were given "keeping in mind the next [ODI] World Cup", but with both these ploys resulting in fiasco, Bangladesh did not hesitate in abandoning them just a series later.

Najmul was dropped from the playing eleven for the ODIs away to New Zealand while Soumya was promoted to the number three position.

It is as if the team management is not even a hundred per cent certain and confident about their own plans!

While there is obscurity about managerial decisions, spur-of-the-moment selections and sudden inclusions of players in the squad have only complicated things for Bangladesh.

Soumya, who was not even in the 18-member Test squad for the West Indies Test earlier this year, was suddenly called directly into the playing eleven for the second Test after injury forced Shakib out.

The decisions to recall 34-year-old Shuvagata Hom to the Test squad after five years for the last Sri Lanka tour and even the inclusion of Imrul Kayes for the upcoming ODIs have raised the eyebrows of fans and followers of Bangladesh cricket.

Moreover, even in the modern era of cricket when technology can unravel any mystery and lay out multiple ways to tackle and attack the opponent, Bangladesh seem to be the only team that remain anxious about the pitch report and conditions before any game, basing most of their plans around those factors.

With Sri Lanka missing a few of their starters and under the leadership of a new captain in Kusal Perera, Bangladesh might have a relatively easier task in hand.

However, it will still be a challenge for the Tigers to come up with a clear set of plans ahead of the series and not burden themselves with the weight of their own ineffective and short-lived solutions.