Bangladesh cricketers are putting the spark back into press conferences

It began with the captain — Litton Das.

Bangladesh had arrived in Chattogram for their final bilateral T20I series before next February’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. This was meant to be the last dress rehearsal in a campaign that started in May — a period in which the team genuinely progressed: batting with intent, bowling with discipline, and fielding with a sharpness rarely associated with Bangladesh.

But cricket wasn’t the headline when they reached the port city. Litton’s pre-series press conference was.

Asked about middle-order batter Shamim Hossain being left out of the first two T20Is, Litton’s response sent shockwaves through the room.

“Of course it would’ve been better if he was here. But it’s not my call — it’s the selectors’ call. I wasn’t informed about Shamim being dropped,” he said, frustration clear.

Then came the real bombshell:

“I’ve been told by the selectors and the board that I have to work with whichever team I’m given. So I no longer have a say in who I want or don’t want… I always thought a captain helped shape the squad, but now it seems my job is just to make the best of whatever team I’m given.”

For a sitting national captain to say this openly — on camera — was astonishing. Even BCB media manager Rabeed Imam appeared visibly taken aback.

And that was just the beginning.

A day later, Towhid Hridoy faced the media after scoring a career-best 83 in a losing cause. Calm at first, he soon let slip how much he had carried silently.

“I batted in the top order in the BPL. Here, I play in the middle order,” he said. “Many of you may think I shouldn’t even be in the team sometimes. So I’m content where I am, Alhamdulillah.”

Then he addressed the reporters directly:

“You have every right to criticize. But criticize with reason. Sometimes we Bengalis keep hammering on one point once it starts. It shouldn’t be like that.”

He went on to challenge a common criticism of Bangladesh’s middle order.

“If we don’t do these things against Ireland, then who will we do them against? Ultimately, you’ll say this team is… you’ll criticize many things.”

By this point, press conferences had become prime viewing.

Then Saturday night turned the spark into a blaze. Shak Mahedi Hasan — match-winner with 3 for 25 — was asked about his on-and-off place in the XI. His reply was brutally direct.

“Maybe the head coach can answer that. Our captain can answer it,” he said. “Those involved in team selection can answer.”

Then came a line that captured years of bottled-up frustration:

“If you work for one channel one month and another the next month, you wouldn’t feel comfortable. It’s the same for me. But I am trying.”

Had selectors ever explained his role?

“No, never. But playing for Bangladesh is a matter of pride. Whether I play regularly or after ten matches — that’s what matters.”

Three days. Three press conferences.

Three players speaking with a candour Bangladesh cricket hasn’t heard in years.

Three frustrated voices. One theme.

At a time when global athletes are increasingly media-trained, cautious, and sanitized, Bangladesh’s cricketers delivered a rare burst of honesty. Litton demanded transparency in leadership. Hridoy called for fairness. Mahedi asked for communication and consistency.

Together, they kicked off a wider conversation — one that reaches far beyond selection or batting positions. It’s a conversation about respect, clarity, and responsibility across the cricketing ecosystem.

Some within the system may be uneasy. Some may fear this honesty will embolden dissent. But for fans — and especially for the media — it was refreshing. These press conferences felt real: unrehearsed, unfiltered, and unguarded. A raw glimpse into the emotions, pressures, and insecurities players usually bury beneath clichés.

For once, the microphones captured something true.

Bangladesh cricket, it seems, has made its press conferences great again.

And while Monday’s pre-match session with Shaun Tait wasn’t as explosive, all eyes are now on tonight’s post-match press conference.