Sarowar questions fitness and discipline in Bangladesh women's team

Sarowar Imran, the former head coach of Bangladesh's women's cricket team, has questioned the fitness levels and discipline within the national squad following his departure from the role. The Bangladesh Cricket Board did not renew his contract after it expired in October 2026, following the Asian Games. David Hemp has been appointed as his replacement.

Sarowar expressed frustration over the manner in which the BCB handled his exit, stating that communication was minimal and his dismissal came via letter. Speaking to Ekattur TV on Tuesday, November 10, Sarowar outlined his concerns about the team's approach and standards during his tenure.

"BCB did not communicate with me after the Asian Games and Asia Cup. I got a letter that I am not going to the Australia tour as another coach will go. This is all the communication I had with BCB," Sarowar said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

What were Sarowar's concerns about coaching staff approach?

During his time with the team, Sarowar alleged that the coaching staff had adopted an overly accommodating approach toward players, which he believed hindered improvement. He described the environment as one where coaches and support staff remained passive rather than pushing for higher standards.

"As far as my ill temper is concerned when I entered the women's team, what I saw was that there from bowling coach to spin bowling coach, batting coach, trainer, physio all were very quiet. They listen to whatever the women cricketers say and they cannot improve living in this comfort zone. That is the reason our team is still the same as it was five years back," Sarowar said.

What fitness issues did Sarowar identify?

Sarowar cited a specific example to illustrate his point about the lack of discipline within the squad. He noted that a spinner refused to continue bowling after delivering 30 balls, and the coaching staff agreed to the player's request without objection.

The former coach expressed disappointment at the brevity of his tenure, stating that he had been given only seven to eight tours to implement his vision for the team before his contract was terminated.

"A spinner after bowling 30 deliveries tells the coach that she won't bowl any more and the coach agrees. One or two batters bat for the whole day and after seeing all these I started interfering. I also interfered regarding their fitness. When I needed to scold them I did that and if you say this is ill temper in that case I don't feel Bangladesh cricket can improve. I felt I could improve them and had seven to eight tours and everything ended just because of failing in one or two tours," said Sarowar.

"I am telling you more than half of the first XI cricketers do not have the required fitness level. Most of them are below average (in fitness) while some of them are medium while a couple have standard fitness level. Fitness is a big issue and when the fitness test is conducted the trainer can say how many of them match international fitness level. They don't have that (fitness level). If I feel that I will be world champion only by bowling 30 balls, that will never happen," he added.

How did Sarowar describe team dynamics?

Sarowar raised significant concerns about the fitness standards of Bangladesh's first XI, stating that more than half the players in the squad did not meet the required level. He alleged that most players were below average in fitness, with only a couple at the standard level and some in the medium category.

Sarowar also suggested that there were interpersonal dynamics within the squad that affected team cohesion. He stated that captain Nigar Sultana did not maintain equally close relationships with all members of the team, though he stopped short of confirming the existence of factions.

"I cannot say about grouping but some were close to the captain while some others were not close to the captain," said Sarowar.