‘There are still board members with questionable backgrounds’

Yousuf Babu was a Bangladeshi cricketer, who played regularly for the national side from 1976-77 until his retirement in 1983–84. He was the first Bangladeshi to score an international hundred, with 115 against PNG in 1982. In an exclusive interview with The Business Standard, the former cricketer opened the floodgate and spoke about various recurrent issues regarding Bangladesh cricket. 

After 24 years of achieving Test status, how much do you think Bangladesh has progressed overall from a cricketing perspective?  

If you reflect on this seriously, the real question is whether we deserved Test status when we were awarded it in 2000. Frankly, we didn't. There were two critical standards we failed to meet: administrative competency and playing ability. After we played our inaugural Test in November 2000, the quality and standard of our club and domestic cricket didn't improve—it stayed the same as before. The culture needed to sustain the identity of a Test-playing nation was absent from the very start, and the effort to build it was also missing.  

The financial floodgates opened with Test status, bringing in millions of dollars, but this money wasn't used honestly or effectively. Instead, it created opportunities for businessmen who saw cricket as a means to generate personal financial gain. And that is precisely what happened.  

What are the prevailing reasons behind this according to you? 

One way to assess our current state is to ask why we are still struggling in the Test format after 24 years. The answer lies in a lack of vision, sincerity, and integrity. It's like upgrading someone from travelling by rickshaw to business class but failing to equip them with the necessary development to handle the change. This is the gap we've been unable to bridge.  

Interestingly, when it comes to talent at the junior level, we are on par with other cricketing nations. But we falter in nurturing that talent effectively. This is one of the primary reasons we continue to struggle at the highest level.  

In which areas do you think immediate changes are necessary to help Bangladesh cricket progress quickly?  

When failure persists over such a long period, it's clear that changes are needed in multiple areas. The first and most crucial step is to address integrity. Many of the individuals who have held roles in the cricket board, as well as some of the current members in charge, lack the integrity needed for such responsibilities.  

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is one of the wealthiest cricket boards in the world—arguably the fifth richest—and is certainly wealthier than any other sports administration in the country. However, with such financial power comes the need for a proper selection process for leadership roles. This includes background checks and understanding individuals' sources of income to assess their suitability for these positions.  

In the past 10–15 years, and even today, many people within the board have questionable backgrounds. Without conducting proper checks, how can we ensure that appointments are based on merit rather than personal recommendations? This lack of accountability has severely hindered our progress.  

Could anything have been done differently regarding the BCB reformation?  

In my view, the first course of action should have been to suspend all current board members and notify them officially. Simultaneously, a report should have been submitted to the ICC explaining the current crisis and outlining plans to form an ad hoc committee temporarily, with elections planned for the future. Given the circumstances, the ICC would have understood and supported this move.  

What actually happened was far from this. Instead of addressing the root causes, arbitrary appointments were made, which did nothing to solve the underlying problems.  

How would you assess the performance of the previous or current board? 

I wouldn't evaluate the success of the cricket board based on the men's or women's teams' performances alone. True progress should be measured by the development of domestic cricket. For instance, school cricket—a critical foundation for producing quality players—remains severely neglected.  

Additionally, the amount of red-ball cricket being played is alarmingly low. To become a good one-day player, you must first master the five-day format. However, the allure of money has shifted our focus entirely to ODIs and T20s.  

Young players barely play any first-class matches throughout the year. There's also no structured plan for pipeline players. We lack a clear vision for identifying which players are best suited for each format. Although we've hired many foreign coaches and support staff, we often don't trust them to create effective strategies. Instead, we hire "yes-men" who simply follow orders. Anyone who dares to question the system or say "no" is quickly removed.  

Do you think Chandika Hathurusingha was made a scapegoat for the series loss to India? Would he have stayed if Bangladesh had won or drawn a match in that series?  

The treatment of Hathurusingha was highly unprofessional and dubious. Even before Faruque Ahmed became BCB president, he publicly criticised Hathurusingha, claiming he wasn't capable. If the decision to remove him stemmed from the 2023 World Cup, why wasn't this addressed immediately after the tournament?  

Bangladesh's win against Pakistan was extraordinary. The team played exceptional cricket, winning convincingly. However, Pakistan isn't so weak that such a result could happen without internal issues. From what I've heard, there were disagreements among Pakistani players, including Babar Azam and others, over removing Shaan Masood as captain. It seems some players believed that losing to Bangladesh would lead to Masood's removal. Instead, Masood stayed on, while other players were dropped after the series.  

If Bangladesh could perform so well against Pakistan, why did they struggle against India and Afghanistan? This inconsistency highlights the deeper structural problems in our cricketing ecosystem, particularly in domestic cricket.  

What are your thoughts on the role of school cricket in nurturing talent, and why do you think it remains neglected?  

School cricket is the foundation of any cricketing nation—it's where young talent is discovered and nurtured. Yet, in Bangladesh, it remains woefully neglected. If you're willing to invest in holistic development for children in other areas, such as education and medical care, why not do the same for school cricketers?  

In Bangladesh, the focus has always been on immediate monetary gain. Administrators, players, and even the media are part of this culture. The media, in particular, plays a role. In other countries, gaining access to players is tightly controlled. Here, it's far too easy, often leading to unnecessary sensationalism.  

Our age-level cricket produces talented players, but they fail to progress because they fall into a toxic environment. They lack the mental training to uphold honesty, integrity, and discipline. When they see senior players getting away with poor behaviour, they emulate the same.  

Regarding Shakib Al Hasan, we have seen a lot have happened in the past few days. What's your perspective on this matter?

Despite his immense talent, he has been allowed to get away with actions that would have had serious consequences elsewhere. It's not entirely his fault—he was never guided properly. But this lack of accountability sets a poor example for others.  

To fix this culture, we must prioritise discipline, integrity, and professionalism at every level of cricket. Only then can we truly unlock the potential of our players and ensure sustainable growth for the game in Bangladesh.