NN ONLINE:
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam wants to take school cricket back to where it once belonged: at the heart of talent discovery.
Speaking in Chattogram on Wednesday, at the launch of a regional tournament, Aminul said Bangladesh’s future stars are still sitting in classrooms and must be brought into the system early.
“Tomorrow’s Tamim, Shakib or Mushfiqur — they’re all in schools now. It’s our responsibility to identify them and give them a pathway,” he told reporters.
For years, Prime Bank has backed the national school cricket competition, the country’s biggest grassroots event. It has unearthed players, but not in the numbers the board would like. Aminul, who himself came through school cricket, said the BCB now plans to rework the format to make it more effective.
The board chief praised director Akram Khan for helping launch regional competitions, calling them a model for decentralisation. He added that the BCB’s development and high-performance wings will take on the responsibility of nurturing standouts from schools.
“Matches alone won’t produce players,” Aminul said. “We must scout, hold on to the best talents, and make sure they’re supported until they’re ready for the big stage.”
