Bipin Dani
Bangladesh’s triumph in the U-19 World Cup has a Sri Lanka connection to it. Former middle order batsman Naveed Nawaz, who played one Test and 3 ODIs’ under Sanath Jayasuriya is the head coach of the victorious Bangla team.
Speaking exclusveily over telephone from South Africa a day after the Tigers won the U-19 World Cup against India, he said, “ Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) invested heavily on these boys. I saw these boys become mature and learn fast. Changing habits and being positive to change was the main slogan I used along with my staff”.
Naveed Nawaz, who left Sri Lanka 4 years ago before coaching NCC / Moors SC / Sinhalese Sports Club initially and then joined SLC as head coach of U 19 worked with SLC for 7 years and produced many cricketers who are now playing for Sri Lanka. “It was a family decision to move to Australia with my wife and three kids for their further education”.
“I took up role in BCB in 2018 which was a hard role in Bangladesh with 25 raw talented cricketers. My 1st year was spent mostly in getting these players ready for the international platform technically and mentally and the 2nd year was basically competition. We played almost 35 youth ODIs and have a almost 90% win percentage up until the WC”, he said.
“I take everything as a learning for the future and do not waste time taking or thinking much about the past”. “Part from cricket training habits is sometimes we installed in them. Tthankfully I found Richard Stonier, a very good trainer from England who worked along side me for more than a year.
