THE Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team retaining the ACC U-19 Asia Cup title with a crushing 59-run win over India in the final on December 8 is, indeed, a feat to relish. The junior Tigers earlier claimed the 2023 title, their maiden title of this tournament, when they defeated host UAE by 195 runs. After being invited to bat first, the junior Tigers faced challenges with the early departure of the openers, which left the side at 41-2, but middle-order batters helped them set a moderate total of 198 in 49.1 overs. It was for bowlers to defend such a modest total against India, a team with a strong batting order, and what the bowlers did was a joy to watch. Pacers Al Fahad and Maruf Mridha made early inroads by dismissing the Indian openers, while pacer Iqbal Hasan Emon鈥檚 3 for 24, including two consecutive wickets in the 20th over that proved crucial in determining the fate of the game, and skipper Azizul Haque Tamim鈥檚 3 for 8 made India succumb to 139 in 35.2 overs. Earlier, Bangladesh had beaten Pakistan by seven wickets in the first semi-final in Dubai on December 6.
The win of the Under-19 team sounds a heartening note and the team deserves a roaring ovation. This shows that the junior Tigers can do wonders if they are afforded the needed fillip. The U-19 team earlier also did impressively in international tournaments, including winning the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2020. In fact, the Under-19 team appears to have fared better than the national team. What, however, comes as worrying is that the Under-19 team does not receive the support it requires to flourish. As a result, most of the promising young stars fall through the cracks and just fade away from cricket. When the young players do not receive the perks and benefits that members of the Under-19 team in other countries receive, they also do not have the opportunity to play as many domestic matches as are necessary for a proper flourishing. Members of the team and experts have long demanded that the Bangladesh Cricket Board take care of the young players round the year and play them in domestic tournaments such as the Bangladesh Cricket League, National Cricket League, Dhaka Premier League and others. The young players also suffer from a lack of infrastructure, especially proper grounds and cricket academies. Moreover, the existing cricket grounds, academies and tournaments are largely Dhaka-centric, which restricts a wider young cricketers鈥� pool.聽
While this is heartening that the junior Tigers have once again proved their mettle, the cricket authorities should not rest on the laurels that the under-19 team has earned for the country. The Bangladesh Cricket Board should attend to the problems that young cricketers generally face. The cricket board should put in more efforts to nourish the young cricketers.