Why cricket coaches couldn't be appointed in 61 districts

The BCB is set to appoint cricket coaches for 61 districts. Out of 218 applications, only 38 have passed. Facing a shortage of qualified candidates, the BCB will issue another recruitment advertisement.

One unsuccessful candidate claimed, "The questions were tough. It's impossible to pass with such difficulty."

However, a member of the exam committee said otherwise: "Candidates performed the worst in English report writing section. But this is very essential for cricket coaching."

A while ago, ICC Coaching Instructor Binod Kumar Das, who came to Dhaka, also highlighted the same issue: "The biggest weakness of Asian cricket coaches is lack of linguistic proficiency, especially not knowing English well."

Knowing English is crucial for cricket coaches because international cricket coaching manuals, technical updates, and training methodologies are all written in English. And that is precisely where most coaches falter. So how are they keeping up with modern cricket? Yet, these same coaches are working at academies across the country, coaching and grooming young cricketers.

There is currently a boom in cricket education across the country. Parents, dreaming of making their sons cricketers, are enrolling them in academies. From the upazila and district levels, young cricketers gradually reach the divisional and national levels. If the initial education at the academy is correct, their progression shouldn't be an issue. But this BCB recruitment exam raises serious doubts. Are grassroots coaches actually able to provide proper cricket education to young players?

BCB Game Development Committee Chairman Fahim Sinha told Agamir Samoy, "It cannot be directly said that cricketers are learning incorrectly. Most of the national team or pipeline cricketers started from the districts." Immediately after, he admitted to deficiencies in coaching education, saying, "Our coaching education hasn't been done well all this time. I can't say right now whether those responsible did their jobs or not. But broadly speaking, there were definitely shortcomings."

That is why, today, even though the BCB wants to appoint coaches nationwide, it cannot find suitable people. A member of the exam committee claimed that questions were asked about the coaching manual and the things a coach should know. Evaluation included written, oral, and practical tests.

Following these results, the BCB is bringing changes to the recruitment process itself. The condition in the first advertisement requiring a Level-1 certificate or first-class cricket playing experience will be relaxed, and new applications will be accepted. Those who applied previously, will also be able to take the exam again.

The board has also taken a long-term plan not just for recruitment but also for coach skill development. Fahim Sinha said, "Perhaps many faced problems due to English. Reports have to be written in English, so the exam was also held in English. They weren't given training on this in the past, which is a problem. Now we will fill that gap. Those who pass will have monthly online coaching courses. This way, even without coming to Dhaka, they can learn the proper things."

The BCB now admits the long-standing lack of continuous training for district coaches. So, this exam result is not just a tally of a failed recruitment process; it is also a clear reflection of the long-term weaknesses in the country's grassroots cricket coaching system. Now, it remains to be seen how much the BCB's new initiatives can overcome those weaknesses.