Faruque demands consistency, questions Ashraful's removal ahead of SA tour

Bangladesh cricket needs more than occasional moments of brilliance to establish itself as a consistent force in international cricket, former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president and national team captain Faruque Ahmed believes, as the Tigers prepare for a challenging tour of South Africa.

Faruque has questioned the team's recent performances, called for collective accountability within the cricket establishment and expressed disappointment over the decision to remove Mohammad Ashraful from the national team's batting coach position, insisting that the former captain deserved more time to make an impact.

His assessment comes at a crucial juncture for Bangladesh, who are heading into a demanding assignment after an underwhelming home Test series against West Indies, which exposed familiar concerns about their ability to sustain performances across matches.

Bangladesh lost the opening Test in Dhaka by eight wickets before fighting back to draw the second in Sylhet. Despite Towhid Hridoy's remarkable double century of 242 and another impressive 82 in the fourth innings, the hosts could not prevent West Indies from securing a 1-0 series victory.

For Faruque, individual brilliance and occasional victories cannot disguise the larger problem.

"Speaking strictly from a cricketing perspective as a former captain, the cricket we are playing right now is simply not good enough—that is a fact. We are still winning in fits and starts, losing matches, and losing them badly," Faruque told reporters on Wednesday.

The former captain believes Bangladesh have shown that they possess the ability to compete against established sides, but the challenge has always been to reproduce those performances consistently.

He recalled Bangladesh's historic Test victory over Australia in 2017, as well as other encouraging results, arguing that such achievements should provide a platform for sustained progress rather than remain isolated successes.

"I certainly expect better performances. Overall, the performance has not been satisfactory, and I hope the Bangladesh team improves," he said.

Bangladesh's immediate examination will come in South Africa, where Najmul Hossain Shanto's side will play two Tests, three One Day International series and three T20 International series between 15 November and 13 December.

The two-Test series, beginning at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on 15 November before moving to Centurion on 23 November, will also be part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.

Bangladesh are currently fifth in the WTC standings, and the South African assignment presents another opportunity to strengthen their position. However, Faruque believes the team's improvement cannot be achieved through changes in the playing XI or individual performances alone.

Instead, he wants the entire cricketing structure to work together, with the board, team management and players sharing responsibility for the team's fortunes.

"I think this has to be viewed as complementary. If the entire system functions effectively together, everyone benefits. If players are allowed to play tension-free, they will perform better. If undue, unnecessary external pressure is exerted, that causes problems," he said.

Faruque also pointed to the importance of creating an environment where cricketers can perform without unnecessary pressure, while management and administrators must remain accountable for their decisions.

"When the team does well, people take credit; equally, when things go poorly, one must accept responsibility. From that angle, I think they need to sit down and re-evaluate," he added.

For Bangladesh, the problem is not simply about winning or losing a particular series. Rather, it is about building a team capable of carrying its confidence from one assignment into the next.

Recalling the historic win over Australia, Faruque said the team must avoid mistaking a significant victory for evidence that all its underlying problems have been solved.

"What I want to see is consistency. Winning and losing are part of the game, of course, but consistent performance builds a solid foundation and platform from which you can deliver results on a regular basis," he said.

While Faruque's concerns extend to the wider cricketing structure, he was particularly unhappy with the BCB's decision to remove Ashraful from the batting coach position shortly before the West Indies series.

Ashraful, who was appointed in November 2025, had worked with the national team for around a year. His removal on 24 October came just days before the opening Test against West Indies, with Mohammad Salahuddin subsequently taking charge of the batting department on an interim basis.

The decision attracted attention because Bangladesh had produced some encouraging batting performances during Ashraful's tenure, although the team's overall results had remained inconsistent.

Faruque, who was involved in Ashraful's appointment during his time as BCB vice-president, believes the former national captain's stature and experience could have been more beneficial if he had been given a longer period to work with the players.

"That does not set a particularly good precedent. Ashraful was appointed during my time as vice-president, and I believe we did notice some improvement in the batting," he said.

"When an accomplished former player and role model is involved with the squad, the players genuinely listen to what he has to say, and we saw that dynamic in action."

The former BCB chief feels that attributing the team's batting struggles to one individual, particularly after a handful of disappointing performances, is an unfair way to assess a coach's contribution.

"Singling someone out over one or two poor outings, as if everything went wrong solely because of him, is simply unfair. In my view, giving him more time would have been the better course," he said.

Ashraful's departure has since triggered another change in the national team's coaching structure ahead of the South Africa assignment.

The BCB has appointed former South African all-rounder Dale Benkenstein as batting specialist for the tour, covering all three formats. Benkenstein, who previously served as South Africa's batting coach from 2017 to 2019, brings extensive experience in international and county cricket.

Meanwhile, Ashraful has been moved into Bangladesh's coaching set-up at the A-team level, while Salahuddin has returned to his responsibilities with the High Performance Unit.

Faruque acknowledged that the cricket board has the authority to make appointments and take decisions concerning its coaching staff. However, he maintained that Ashraful should have been allowed more time to establish himself in the role.

"Who makes the decisions and who took this one is their prerogative. Still, he had worked for about a year, and had he been given a bit more time, it would have been beneficial," he added.

As Bangladesh prepare to take on the Proteas in their own backyard, Faruque's message is therefore twofold: the national team must find consistency on the field, while the cricket establishment must develop a more collective approach to building a winning environment.

The South Africa tour will offer an immediate opportunity to test that ambition. For Bangladesh, the challenge is not merely to produce another memorable performance, but to make sure that one good result does not remain an isolated chapter in an otherwise inconsistent journey.