Like most Australians, Shane Jurgensen will spend a good proportion of his Boxing Day glued to the opening day’s play of the Test against Sri Lanka.
Unlike most, research and analysis will be Jurgensen’s prime concern as he tucks into Christmas leftovers and spends rare time with family.
The 36-year-old was appointed Bangladesh’s bowling coach in 2011 and became their interim coach two months ago after Englishman Richard Pybus quit over contract differences just five months into the job.
A two-game tour of Pakistan has been pencilled in for January 12-13, which would make Bangladesh the first team to visit the country since a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan squad in 2009.
Even if that ground-breaking tour goes ahead, Jurgensen’s next substantial series is likely to be a trip to Sri Lanka in March.
“There was mention of at least maybe doing the Sri Lankan series, because the last two head coaches have left early,” Jurgensen, who helped mastermind West Indies’ downfall in a recent five-match one-day series, told AAP.
“I don’t think they’re in a real particular hurry (to name a new coach), they want to make sure they get the right person.”
Jurgensen is following in the footsteps of compatriots Stuart Law, Jamie Siddons and Trevor Chappell in attempting to turn around the fortunes of a nation that has banked three wins from the 75 Tests they’ve played since joining cricket’s elite in 2000.
Jurgensen, a right-arm quick from Brisbane who attended the Australian Cricket Academy alongside Andrew Symonds in 1994 and played for three different states, believes the raw talent is there but scheduling makes long-form improvement incredibly difficult.
“What the boys really need is as much of that four-day, five-day cricket. Particularly after we played so much T20 cricket over the last 6 months,” he said.
“They’re very talented, natural cricketers – probably a lot more talented than what people actually think.
“There is something there that could take that team to another level over the next five years and it is something I’ve spoken to the players about.”
Two recent home losses to West Indies were Bangladesh’s first Tests in 11 months.
In 2012, they’ve played the least number of Tests in a calendar year since becoming a Test-playing nation. Compare that to England who featured in 15 Tests this year.
Nonetheless, Jurgensen’s charges looked solid in the first Test against West Indies prior to collapsing in their pursuit of a final-day victory target of 245 runs.
They then kept Chris Gayle quiet for five consecutive one-day clashes, winning the fifth and deciding match by two wickets.
“What really impressed me was that they didn’t back down in game five. If anything they lifted,” Jurgensen said, also praising one-day wins over Sri Lanka and India in March’s Asia Cup.
The tour to Sri Lanka will provide a good insight into just how much the wheel is turning, but unfortunately for Jurgensen it will feature only two Tests.
