Now it's time to groom the World Cup winners for international cricket
The players in this under-19 team have been playing together for over two years so they know their roles and know how to play and win as a team.
After an epic win in the ICC U-19 World Cup by Bangladesh, we should put this win into perspective with what this does for the national team - the team that has been struggling for a while now.
The players in this under-19 team have been playing together for over two years so they know their roles and know how to play and win as a team.
That was perhaps most evident in the final as all the players did their part while bowling and fielding, and when the chips were down and the middle-order faltered, captain Akbar Ali came in to play the innings of a lifetime.
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But the biggest question on everyone's minds have to be whether these players go on from here and replicate this in the international stage.
This is not a team that relies on individual brilliance so the inhibition from many within the cricketing fraternity has been whether these players can go on and perform in the same way in the international stage.
Proper grooming is key
Just because the national team has not been having the best of times in international cricket does not mean that the players should be thrust into the scene immediately as they need to first prove their mettle.
It can be argued that the first class structure won't do them much good but it is still better than no first class experience at all.
A few seasons of doing well in the first class tournaments should help them prepare better for when they make the international stage eventually.
Another argument can be the way certain special talents are brought into the international stage like Sachin Tendulkar was for India.
But that is not always fruitful and is a big risk, and it can be argued that this current team does not have that level of generational talents.
Past U-19 stars paint a gloomy picture
Sabbir Khan (1998), Hannan Sarkar (2000), Nafees Iqbal (2002), Ashikur Rahman (2004), Mushfiqur Rahim (2006), Sohrawardi Shuvo (2008), Mahmudul Hasan (2010), Anamul Haque (2012), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (2014, 2016) and Saif Hassan (2018) have been the captains in the previous U-19 World Cups for Bangladesh.
Apart from Mushfiq, none of the others have gone on to have big careers and the likes of Hannan Sarkar and Nafees Iqbal were touted to have massive international careers.
More recently, Anamul Haque and Mehidy Hasan Miraz were big performers in the U-19 World Cups but they have had start-stop careers so far, although Miraz has been slightly more successful than Anamul.
But it is evident that international cricket has been a different ball game for these players.
Whatever the case, the board needs to wrap these players up in cotton wool and ensure that they have the best chance to do well in international cricket.
The careers of the big five – Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad – won't go on forever and finding their replacements have become a big worry for the cricketing fraternity.
Many are wresting their faith on the likes of Towhid Hridoy and Shariful Islam to be the next big things of Bangladesh cricket but as it stands, this is just the beginning for these players and the real challenge to make it big begins now.
