On the cusp of a crucial board meeting on Tuesday, poised to dissect the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) postmortem of the national squad's World Cup exploits, a rather unorthodox incident came to light: Taskin Ahmed, the pace bowler, had been notably absent from the India match, having succumbed to an untimely slumber.
A history of underwhelming World Cup performances is hardly groundbreaking, yet the board's apparent oversight of the team's tepid tactics, particularly in the match against Afghanistan, demanded urgent scrutiny. Curiously, the revelation regarding Taskin's oversleeping incident conveniently diverted attention from what was, by all accounts, a lacklustre World Cup run, despite the team's advancement to the Super Eights.
The inner sanctum of the team is typically shrouded in secrecy, yet the details of Taskin's lapse were curiously leaked, long after the World Cup game in question had concluded.
Shakib Al Hasan, typically reticent about internal team affairs, broke his silence, revealing Taskin's failure to catch the team bus on the eve of their American departure.
Thus, when BCB President Nazmul Hassan Papon took to the podium after the board meeting, it seemed the board was rather complacent with the team's achievements, 'new' players notwithstanding. As Nazmul Hassan faced a volley of queries regarding the team's performance, he was a bit reluctant to reply to some queries.
Reports have it that the team engaging in activities, particularly in the USA, which deviated from the norm during a World Cup. The issue of Taskin's discipline inevitably arose.
When pressed about Taskin, the BCB chief commented, "I'm aware of the rumours that he missed the team bus. The specifics of his tardiness will remain unclear until I have a direct conversation with him... but I expect a formal report from the department in charge." The board's failure to address the team's disciplinary issues prior to the meeting is baffling.
Taskin himself admitted in a recent Facebook update that he had indeed overslept, but he expressed dismay at the disproportionate 'furore' over the incident. As of now, no decision has been made regarding Taskin's penalty, with the board awaiting the coach and team manager's report on the matter. Meanwhile, Taskin's oversleeping episode has become a social media sensation, eclipsing the spotlight. Additionally, Head Coach Chandika Hathurusingha's World Cup report is pending. Bangladesh's approach in the Afghanistan match lacked the conviction of a team intent on victory. Instead of addressing the causes of the dismal performances, the BCB seemed content to let a distracting narrative take hold.
