HP head coach David Hemp (L) and Chairman of HP Committee Naimur Rahman Durjoy (R). Photo: Firoz Ahmed
Chairman of the High-Performance Committee Naimur Rahman Durjoy lamented how Bangladesh’s cricketing infrastructure is still lacking in a few aspects, pointing out the issues it brings especially during the rainy season.
The former Bangladesh captain underlined the struggles that players face in the rainy season owing to a lack of indoor facilities to train. Doubled with a jam-packed schedule due to other domestic competitions, his department, the HP program, is forced to run its course in that season of unpredictability.
“I still think I haven’t been able to do everything from the Bangladeshi perspective because we have a few gaps infrastructure-wise like grounds, indoor, gym. We have to struggle a lot in the rainy season. Similarly, we have to run the HP program during the rainy season,” he told the reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Wednesday.
“The players remain busy as they have to play the national league, domestic cricket, BPL, and DPL. We can’t run those programs during those times, particularly the skill training can’t be carried out then. So, we have to do those things during the rainy season which is why we have to make improvements in terms of infrastructure, especially when it comes to indoors, gyms,” he added.
The Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium welcomed the arrival of newly-appointed HP head coach David Hemp on Wednesday.
“It is a really important role in terms of the development of players in the Bangladesh cricket community. We are trying to help players achieve their goal, which is, in essence, to play for the Bangladesh national side. We provide that platform where players can learn and grow, and step up into that next group – the A team. From that, they can go into the main national side. How do we measure it? I think success will be around how many players we transition through this program into the next program above. We want to make sure that Bangladesh cricket is stronger and stronger, because there’s more depth of players to choose from, because of this program,” Hemp told reporters.
Hemp’s first assignment will see him take charge of the HP’s latest program that will be carried out in three phases across as many cities— Dhaka, Bogura, and Rajshahi—starting from June 24.
While the SBNCS has adequate indoor facilities and a gym, the venues in Rajshahi and Bogura have rudimentary facilities and if it rains, the training sessions in those venues would have to come to a halt.
