Dhaka: Mickey Aurther, a renowned international cricket coach, has emphasized the need for Bangladesh to secure an ICC trophy in ODI cricket to affirm their growing stature in the sport. He believes that winning a major trophy is essential for validating their efforts and the brand of cricket they represent.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Aurther, whose coaching career spans multiple international teams, remarked that the success of a team is ultimately measured by the trophies they win. "They have played some good ODI cricket. But you are ultimately judged on trophies," Aurther stated. He further stressed the importance of having a trophy to showcase a team's hard work and progress.
Aurther, who began his coaching journey with South Africa and later became the first non-Australian to coach the Australian team, used South Africa as an example. Despite their consistent top rankings, they are often not remembered due to their lack of ICC event victories. He noted, "The people don't remember a team who doesn't win an ICC event. Bangladesh is playing good cricket, they are a very good ODI side but they need to win something to validate it."
Since the 2015 World Cup, Bangladesh has shown significant improvement in ODI cricket, with notable home performances. However, recent defeats to Afghanistan and New Zealand have seen their ranking drop to 9th in the ICC ODI standings. With the Champions Trophy approaching, Aurther, who led Pakistan to victory in the last edition in 2017, believes Bangladesh has an equal opportunity to win.
"Champions trophy is a very good competition, it's very short. You need to play your best cricket," he said. He recounted Pakistan's journey from being ranked 8th to winning the trophy by gaining momentum and confidence. Aurther believes that any team, including Bangladesh, has a chance to win if they play their best cricket.
Currently in Bangladesh to coach the Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Aurther has witnessed the significant progress of Bangladeshi players. He highlighted Nahid Rana, a fast bowler known for his pace, as a promising talent. Aurther stressed the importance of managing Rana's workload through a concept he calls "fun balance," which involves balancing practice with rest to enhance skill development.
Aurther explained, "In BPL he bowls just 24 balls, that's only that. He is not given the burden, what he needs to do is to get his skill better and have fun sometimes." He underscored the need for Rana to understand his game and perform under pressure while ensuring he gets adequate rest to prevent his action from deteriorating.