Russell Domingo’s favorite hobby is fishing. When he had time, he organized and rushed to fish with a yacht. His WhatsApp profile picture is also proof of that. He is looking at the blue sea with his feet wet, holding a huge fish in his hand. But if all is well, now he is not hunting fish, he was supposed to spend his busy time on the stage of the World Cup, as the coach of Bangladesh to hunt the opponent!
However, he is not in the World Cup. At least in Bangladesh cricket, his name is being repeated now and again. Although his relationship with cricket in this country ended more than 10 months ago. His name, his memory was clouded. But Bangladesh’s collapse in the World Cup has awakened him again. Would the World Cup of Bangladesh have been so upset and sad if Domingo remained the coach?
He can give the answer himself! Seeing the performance of Bangladesh in the World Cup, how many thoughts can be played in his mind. The phone number, which had been forgotten for a long time, got special care again because I wanted to hear his words, to know his thoughts. There was another knock on his door.
He responded sincerely from the other side. But did not open the door!
He does not want to say anything about Bangladesh team, Bangladesh cricket. Be it a happy memory or a sad one, maybe you don’t want to refresh the carefully pressed chapter.
Still have to try. But in various ways, Sabina’s request did not work. When asked by bdnews24.com, he had only one thing to say, “I have no comment on the Bangladesh team… a lot of time has passed….”
It is true. Many days and months have passed in the flow of time. Just as Domingo is writing a new story of his coaching career for South Africa’s home team Lions, leaving the Bangladesh chapter behind, Bangladesh cricket has also undergone a lot of changes from the coaching staff to the entire team management. Neither side can look back.
But many followers of Bangladesh cricket are now looking back at Domingo’s time. Many are now regretting that at that time there was a group that was organized!
In August 2019, Domingo stepped into Bangladesh as a coach. After that, he went ahead with various discussions-criticisms, questions-doubts, success-failures and expectations. Some media in the country reported that the board had extended his contract before the 2021 T20 World Cup, although it was not officially announced at the time. It was later reported that he will stay until the 2023 World Cup.
But he could not stay. After the bad performance of the Bangladesh team in the 2021 T20 World Cup, the arrows of criticism started shooting towards him. Sometimes the armor protects him from some unimaginable victory. But at one point he left the battlefield. He resigned as the coach of Bangladesh last December.
In fact, did he leave the responsibility on his own or was he told to leave, a situation was created to leave Bingba, there was a heated discussion about that. It has also been washed away by the flow of time. But it is Domingo who has become very relevant again in this World Cup. When the Bangladesh team is in the dark, then the bright light will be remembered. During the coach’s time, the team won 21 of the 30 Ones, there will be heavy rain of regret on this day of victory!
Despite the expected success in series against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, even West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh surprised the cricket world by winning the series in South Africa. This is last year! Even the last series before his resignation, the series was a great success against opponents like India.
Few would have believed that after such a series win, after going through the process and planning for three years with an eye on the World Cup, he resigned on his own. Rather, it has been established that the BCB bosses, desperate to get Chandika Hathurusinghe back as coach, pushed Domingo into a position of resignation.
Today, when the team is winning the World Cup under the coaching of Hathurusingha, it is not unusual to think of a Domingo.
Domingo’s limitations as a coach, there were certainly areas of deficiency. Various stories of tension in the party have been heard. Whether he is qualified enough or not, the doubt has sometimes arisen. But the statistics are clear and the performances bear witness, he knew an effective recipe for winning ODIs. The Bangladesh ODI team, however, was already stable. Although not a big team, this edition has become a strong force since Hathurusingha’s first tenure and then Steve Rhodes’ coaching. After Domingo took over, he also took it forward.
While many aspects of Domingo’s coaching were criticized, it was clear that he had definite plans and knew the process to execute them. There have been occasional stumbles along the way, but more often than not, victory has been achieved.
It is not unreasonable to question whether the result would have been different if he had been a coach until the World Cup or not.
After his departure, not only the coach has changed, but many things have changed, starting from the team’s style of play. However, most of the cricketers in the team and the basic character of this team are known to Domingo. Even though he is away from the team, he is supposed to understand many things from the game. Moreover, seeing the well-decorated garden that he built, being so destroyed, the bugle of sadness can be heard in the depths of his mind!
But Domingo surprised with another short two-line reply, “I haven’t seen them (Bangladesh) play… Wish them all the best for the rest of the World Cup…”
He really did not see any game in Bangladesh? It’s hard to believe. Not only because Bangladesh is his former workplace, it is surprising that such a well-known coach in world cricket has never seen a match of a team in the World Cup.
Whether he watches the Bangladesh game or not really, it doesn’t matter much anymore. But a lot can be gleaned from his two short answers. In this world of professionalism, you have to be prepared for anything. However, even in professionalism there is emotion, there is feeling. Domingo was building the Bangladesh team for the World Cup. There should be a lot of emotional involvement with professionalism.
Food for thought is here. ‘There is no comment on bringing the Bangladesh team’ or ‘I have not seen their game’—are these just words or the anger of Domingo’s arrogance?
