Domingo wants to build cricketing culture at Bangladesh

Despite Bangladesh's heroics in the longer version in recent years, the Tigers have struggled away from home. At home, rank turners supported the spinners and they managed to keep the batsmen outside of Asia in a spin. But in foreign territory, Bangladesh have failed to reciprocate their home heroics as they have often lacked in the resources to do well there.

And that is why Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo wants to build a cricketing culture in Bangladesh. Where the side can compete in all departments of the game home and away.

"Winning is of paramount importance but we do need to develop a Test culture within the playing group. We have to pay a lot more attention to Tests. I have been impressed with this group of players. There seems to be a big desire to do well in the Test arena," he said. 

Bangladesh Test skipper Mominul Haque also agrees with the coach on this decision and believed that if the team implied the same strategy over and over again, it would be easier for the other teams to catch up. 

"If we play with the same strategy over and over again, it's easier for the other sides to catch up to you. If you don't play seamers at home, you face difficulty to choose from the pool of seamers away from home," Mominul said. 

Domingo also asked the media for patience. He said that this Bangladesh side was young and inexperienced and needed time to show their worth and in the meantime, the support from the fans would be of great help for them.

Domingo wants proper cricketing wickets 

Bangladesh's success in Test cricket against big names like England and Australia at home have come on rank turners. There was a square turn on the pitch and often, Bangladesh played with a solitary seamer. 

But Domingo wants a change in that and wants proper cricketing wickets because he believes that is necessary for Bangladesh's improvement in the longer format. 

"I want good cricketing wickets. We want our seamers to be able to bowl on Day One, and the spinners come into the game in Days three, four or five. Batters must work hard in the first session and then it gets better to bat on, and then hard to bat on. For sure, Bangladesh have done well when the wickets have spun, particularly against Australia, England and South Africa, and that is important for us. But for the holistic development of the team, we need to have a bigger picture in mind as well," Domingo said. 

He further added, "For Bangladesh to improve in Tests, we can't play on raging turners all the time. We pick one seamer, and then we go to India, South Africa or Australia, we wonder who our three seamers are because they haven't played any cricket. It is a fine balance. We know the strength of the team is playing on spinning wickets particularly when you play teams like Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. You want the wickets to spin. But we also have to learn how to play on good wickets, so that our seamers can be in the game."

The South African also said that playing on good surfaces was required for the team's overall improvement home and away. 

"If we play on a tough wicket, the batsmen can't get big hundreds. It also puts the bowlers in a false sense of security that they think they are great bowlers because the wicket is spinning. It is a tough thing for the team to come to grips with, but it is something that I am pretty strong about. We need to play on good wickets so that we can develop our game not just in Bangladesh but outside too," Domingo said. 

Bangladesh's recent away record has been very poor as the Tigers have lost all of their last five Test matches by an innings margin. Domingo wants a change in that and is looking forward to doing so.