Desk Report:
Chandika Hathurusingha, Jamie Siddons, Phil Simmons, Mushtaq Ahmed, Russell Domingo, Shaun Tait—the list of foreign coaches in Bangladesh cricket is very long. But Wasim Akram is not on this list. This time, the Pakistani legend has expressed his interest in working with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Wasim Akram, who left international cricket in 2003, is now working regularly as a commentator. His voice can be heard in ICC events, Asia Cup. He is equally good at analyzing cricket. The Pakistani bowling legend also works on various TV shows. In an exclusive interview given to Ajker newspaper yesterday at the Taj Hotel in Dubai, the topic of Bangladesh came up. However, when the topic of working in the BCB came up, he said that he was uncertain about working in the long term. Because even after quitting cricket, he has less opportunity to spend free time. Wasim Akram said, ‘I can work for a few days. But it is difficult to say now whether I will work in the long term or not. The Bangladesh team has a very good coach like Mushtaq Ahmed (spin consultant). Phil Simmons, Shaun Tait are there. They are doing a good job.’
Wasim Akram has not visited Bangladesh for almost a long time. That is why the Pakistani bowling legend misses Bangladesh very much. Akram told Ajker newspaper, ‘I have not visited Bangladesh for the last 10-12 years. But I have a plan to go next January. I will go and meet my friends. I am eagerly waiting to visit Bangladesh. Chittagong, Dhaka, Sylhet, Bogra; I remember every city. The people there still love me. My love for the people of Bangladesh is always there. I can only say one thing in Bengali. I can say from Amitabh Bachchan’s dialogue that I love you.’
Bangladesh went to play in the Asia Cup this time after winning three consecutive T20 series against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the Netherlands. The opportunity to play in the final of the recently concluded continental championship tournament in the United Arab Emirates also arose. However, Bangladesh lost by 11 runs in the unwritten semi-final on September 25, chasing a target of 136 runs. Earlier, Bangladesh had failed in all three ICC events – the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the 2025 Champions Trophy.
When asked why Bangladesh is in such a situation when it comes to playing in major tournaments, Wasim Akram said that the responsibility lies entirely with the cricketers. The Pakistani legend told Ajmer newspaper, “The cricket board has nothing to do here. The people of Bangladesh also have nothing to do here. The cricketers have to do this. They have to believe in themselves. They have to be aware of the match situation. The coach cannot teach you that. You have to learn it yourself. In this situation, I will bat like this. In this situation, I have to bowl like this. However, one positive thing has been found from Bangladesh cricket and that is their extraordinary fielding. Except for two or three missed catches, everything is fine. It can happen. We have to believe in ourselves.’
After Hathurusingha was sacked, Phil Simmons became the head coach of Bangladesh. Mushtaq Ahmed and Sean Tait are in the coaching setup with him. Mushtaq is working as the spin bowling coach. Sean Tait is in charge of the pace bowling coach. Meanwhile, India won the Asia Cup title by defeating Pakistan by 5 wickets in Dubai last night. The Bangladesh-Afghanistan three-match T20 series will start on October 2 in this desert. The second and third T20s will be on October 3 and 5. The three-match ODI series will start on October 8. The second and third ODIs will be on October 11 and 14. The BCB announced the T20 series team yesterday with Zaker as the captain.
