After providing the Australian board with 427,500 US dollars as consultancy fee back in April, the board will begin the course, second project under the programme, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium today.

Former Bangladesh captain and operations manager of National Academy Khaled Mahmud, Bangladesh assistant coach Sarwar Imran, under-19 coach Nazmul Abedin Fahim, senior coach of National Academy Dipu Rai Chowdhury and deputy manager of Game Education Ashfaqul Islam selected the coaches but the criteria for selecting the coaches remained quite perplexing.

Pre-requisite for all who are participating is the Level One course undertaken by the board several times but the remaining conditions for making it to Level Two was varying, depending on the coach's background.

Five former national players, five first-class players and a league player are among the 25 as they have playing experience at domestic or international level. Coaching experience in that regard is irrelevant. Former fast bowler Anisur Rahman is making great strides as an umpire, for example, and it is not important for him to have coaching experience. Others like Sabbir Khan, Neeyamur Rashid and Fahim Muntasir are actively plying their trade in domestic cricket.

But for the rest, experience is significant. The board, however, should have taken little time in naming such individuals.

A coach who took part in Level One, must be given a period of time to prove his credentials and potential as a coach but for BCB, it seemed as if they have named coaches at will.

Nazimuddin from Rangamati took part in the Level One programme that ended on May 23 this year and now he is one of the 25 called up for Level Two. The gap between the two courses is not even a month. Surprising to say the least.

Mahbub Alam Babar, a former player, has also been called back from wilderness. He was engaged in business for the past few years. There are few others who have little coaching experience and even worse, lesser coaching credentials.

One of those who have filled all the requirements was Kalabagan coach Sadequzzaman Pintu, but missed out. The young coach have impressed in the domestic scene after acquiring the Level One last year under the Australian programme. This season, he took charge of corporate league side StarTel and helped promote Surjo Tarun from the first division to Premier League, apart from helping Kalabagan successfully remain in the top division. Ignoring him and other Level One coaches of such opportunities demonstrates quite openly the pretence of BCB

It was learned that the then development committee chief Khandaker Jamiluddin had in fact assured that coaches from the academies of Dhaka would be given most priority because of their expertise and hands-on knowledge with domestic cricket.

BCB's show of impetuosity goes to prove that merely undertaking a programme is more important than doing it properly and with clear judgement.

SELECTED COACHES
Monjurul Islam, Sabbir Khan, Fahim Muntasir, Saiful Islam, Anisur Rahman, Golam Mortuza, Ziaul Haque, Rashed Iqbal, Shaheed-Al-Noor, Debabrata Paul, Zahidul Islam, Fazlul Kabir, Rezaul Karim, Moniruzzaman, Jahirul Hasan, Golam Rasul, Golam Rabbani, Neeyamur Rashid, Fazle Bari Khan, Ali Haider, Mohammad Nazimuddin, Yousuf Kabir, Abdul Halim, Montu Kumar and Mahbub Alam Babar.

MENTOR COURSE COACHES
Ashfaqul Islam, Nazmul Abedin Fahim, Dipu Rai Chowdhury, Wahidul Ghani, Nurul Abedin, Zafrul Ehsan, Golam Faruque and Khaled Mahmud.