He is just unlucky: Khaled Mahmud defends Bangladesh coach Russel Domingo

Former Bangladesh skipper Khaled Mahmud has backed coach Russell Domingo to do well in future as he thinks that there is no lack in the sincerity of his efforts towards making the team better. 

Mahmud, who was given the responsibility of Team leader for the Tigers on their tour to Sri Lanka has submitted s report to the board regarding the workings of the coach with the team. Prior to this duty of his, 49-year-old Mahmud was Game Development chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board. 

"We should not make Russell a 'scapegoat'. We should not make the coach fully responsible for any good and bad,” Mahmud was quoted as saying to Cricbuzz. 

“He was also a coach of a big team (South Africa). There was no blunder in his effort, perhaps he was unlucky. It happens many times. It is too early to say anything now. I just worked with him in a series and all I can say is that he is trying," said Mahmud about Domingo, who never played cricket professionally but has coached various clubs, provincial teams and the National team in South Africa. 

Differentiating between the working styles of top teams and Bangladesh, Mahmud, who represented the Tigers in 12 Tests and 77 ODIs said, "We need to explain to the boys about our planning and later we have to tell them constantly what needs to be done and Domingo needs to understand it.'

“'He (Domingo) is not working in South Africa. In Bangladesh, things work differently and our boys need to be reminded about their responsibility from the dressing room time and again and our cricket culture,” added the former fast-bowling all-rounder who took 70 international wickets and scored 1257 runs in his career. 

Domingo, 46, was appointed Bangladesh coach in August 2019 and since then the team has played five T20I series, six Test series and four ODI series, and have been able to win just one T20I series and one Test series against Zimbabwe and two ODI series, clean sweeping Zimbabwe and a second-string West Indies side. More importantly, they have won just one Test out of 10 that they have played under his coaching, losing seven of them, including a 0-2 clean sweep by a second-string Windies team at home. 

All these results have built pressure on Domingo as a coach, but Mahmud believes that the BCB is in no mood to cut short the South African’s two-year contract. 

"I don't think there is any such discussion (sacking Domingo). We have to understand that you can't hire a coach just by wishing it as there are a lot of things that need to be taken into consideration," said Mahmud.

Domingo, who led South Africa to the 2014 T20 World Cup and 2015 ODI World cup semi-finals, himself feels that he has more to give to Bangladesh National team, especially now that he is building a connection with the players after all. 

"I'm enjoying working with the players. I'm enjoying the set-up. There's of course work to be done. Of course, there have been tough results. But I have started to connect with the team well and I am confident going forward,” Domingo told reporters on return from Sri Lanka where the team lost the two-match Test series 1-0.