Bangladesh reaping fruits of strategic funding, says Dave Whatmore

Dave Whatmore, the new coach of Zimbabwe’s national cricket team new coach, gestures as he speaks with the media after he was announced as the new coach during a press conference in Harare on December 30, 2014. AFP PHOTO / JEKESAI NIJIKIZANA (Photo credit should read JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images)

In a recent interaction, former Bangladesh head coach Dav Whatmore shared his insights on the remarkable progress of Bangladesh cricket. Whatmore, who previously led the side during the 2007 World Cup, is currently involved with Fortune Barisal in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.

Returning to Bangladesh, Whatmore expressed his delight and said that it is always good to come back to Bangladesh where he had fond memories.

“It’s always good (to come back in Bangladesh). It really is good to land at the airport where there are so many familiar faces. It’s always wonderful to return to Bangladesh as it is a place where I had fond memories,” Whatmore said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

The seasoned coach highlighted the significant changes in the cricketing landscape, attributing the transformation to the strategic investments made by the Bangladesh Cricket Board in player development.

“There is a big contrast (from the past). What I have seen now are the fruits of the funding that’s been put into the development like the High Performance and the A team and the money spent in the Under-19,” he said.

Discussing the shift in approach, Whatmore observed that the recent results indicate a noticeable change, especially in matches played at home. While acknowledging the challenges of touring abroad due to varying conditions, they achieved success in New Zealand, showcasing an overall more confident approach.

“The result certainly suggest that (change in approach) is the case particularly in your own country. When you tour abroad it’s a little bit harder. Conditions are different, weather food and everything [is different], but they won in New Zealand recently so you know definitely the overall approach is more confident now,” he added.

Seniors must bed them in to pass their knowledge: Whatmore

Whatmore acknowledged the obligation of senior players like Tamim, Shakib, and others to mentor the younger generation.

“They (seniors) have an obligation to bed them in to pass their knowledge and make life a bit easier for them. Ultimately those youngsters will have to do it but they can be helped along the way so yeah they have an obligation and they are doing that from what I have seen,” Whatmore said.

The coach emphasised the significance of the Bangladesh Premier League in accelerating player development. He said that the premier T20 tournament is crucial, exposing many juniors and seniors to significant development opportunities, such as playing in front of large crowds and against top international players.

“This is your premier T20 tournament and this is vastly important as it exposes lot of juniors here as well as the seniors, and it accelerates the development like playing in front of big crowds and against some very good international players so it is very important tournament,” he concluded.