Shahidul Alam Ratan Revisits Memories with His 22-Year-Old BCB Blazer

Former coach and cricket organizer Shahidul Alam Ratan recently turned heads in England when he appeared at an event wearing a blazer he had preserved for 22 years—an emblem of his deep love and pride for Bangladesh cricket. The occasion was the award ceremony of the Arafat Rahman Coco Memorial Cricket Tournament 2024, and the blazer symbolized a meaningful era of his career.

“I’ve preserved this blazer with great care for 22 years,” Ratan shared. “I wore it today deliberately to honor the late Arafat Rahman Coco bhai, who was the chairman of BCB’s Game Development Committee when the High Performance (HP) program began. This is my tribute to him.”

Ratan's involvement with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) spanned six memorable years. Notably, he played a significant role in launching the HP program in 2004 under the guidance of Richard McInnes—an initiative that brought transformative change to Bangladesh’s cricketing landscape.

“During my tenure, I worked with Richard McInnes in various youth and development setups including the U-19 World Cup, the A team, and U-17 programs,” said Ratan. “The HP program became a cradle for many of our national legends.”

He added, “I was one of three national coaches, alongside Nazmul Abedeen Fahim and Sarwar Imran bhai. We were supported by an outstanding group of assistant coaches, trainers, physios, and staff—each one driven and professional.”

Beyond Bangladesh, Ratan spent over a decade with the Malaysian Cricket Association and has continued to serve the game through organizations like Capital Kids Cricket, Middlesex Cricket Participation, and Essex Cricket in the Community in England.

“I’m still learning every day and remain grateful for the opportunity to contribute to cricket development both at home and abroad,” he reflected. “There’s still so much potential—if we can utilize the infrastructure we already have.”

Ratan also thanked Sharfooraz ‘Sharfu’ Faruk Hossain for the invitation and concluded with a promise: “As committed, we will soon organize an event at Lord’s Cricket Ground.”