Bangladesh earns the first-ever Asian Games gold medal
Sunday, 28 November 2010
CRICKETERS earned the country the first-ever Asian Games gold medal in the final Twenty20 match played against Afghanistan in the Chinese city of Guangzhou last Friday. This paper congratulates them on their historic success in fulfilling the long-cherished dream of a nation that gets very rare chances of celebrating victories at the international level. Bangladesh's women cricketers a few days back were about to earn the laurels for the country at the Games but had to remain contended with silvers following defeat in the finals against Pakistan.
The success of Bangladesh cricketers in Guangzhou follows the mauling the Kiwis had experienced at the hands of the Bangladesh national team last month in the latter's home turf. Last Friday's victory, however, was a hard-fought one as the Afghan bravehearts, who are new to the world of international cricket, proved to be hard nuts to crack. It was actually a see-saw battle and the game tilted towards the Afghans when Bangladesh were reduced to 75-5 by the end of the 16th over. But the batting pair, Naeem Islam and Mohammad Shabbir, stuck to the basics and put on an unbeaten partnership of 44 runs to take their team to a historic victory.
The history of Bangladesh cricket, in fact, has been full of ups and downs. On a number of occasions in the past, the team having a good number of talented players had disappointed the nation just because of their poor temperament. Bangladesh team, known as giant killers at times, is still placed at the bottom rung of the International Cricket Council (ICC) test and ODI (one-day international) rankings. If Bangladesh players had raised enormous hope by their excellent performance in one international game, they dashed the same in the next game by their poor showings. However, things have been changing for the better in recent months as the players are displaying more maturity with both bat and ball and Bangladesh is now only a few basis points below West Indies in the ODI ranking table. The upcoming five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe scheduled to begin in Dhaka from December 01 next provides an opportunity to better its ranking.
There is no denying that infrastructure necessary to train up potential and talented budding cricketers are highly inadequate in the country. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is sitting on hefty amounts of money received from sponsors of matches and the ICC but it has not done enough to find potential cricketers from across the country and train them up for meeting international standard. There would be no dearth of help and cooperation from the ICC and other major test playing nations if the BCB make a strong move in this direction. While demonstrating measured response to achievements by the Bangladesh cricket team, the government should ensure what are needed most to improve the quality of existing as well future players.
It appears that Bangladesh cricket, at last, is poised to make its mark in ODIs, if not test matches that demand display of more patience, skill and maturity. All those qualities do not come automatically. At the first instance, a player has to be talented and only then through appropriate training and guidance, he or she may acquire those qualities to make his or her mark in the international cricket. The game of cricket has got a place for the first time in the Asian Games this year but it did not shine up to the desired level because of the absence a major cricketing nation, India and non-participation of many world-class players of the countries concerned in it for one reason or other. Hopefully, cricket would make in the next Games a stronger presence through the full-fledged participation of all test-playing nations of Asia.
The success of Bangladesh cricketers in Guangzhou follows the mauling the Kiwis had experienced at the hands of the Bangladesh national team last month in the latter's home turf. Last Friday's victory, however, was a hard-fought one as the Afghan bravehearts, who are new to the world of international cricket, proved to be hard nuts to crack. It was actually a see-saw battle and the game tilted towards the Afghans when Bangladesh were reduced to 75-5 by the end of the 16th over. But the batting pair, Naeem Islam and Mohammad Shabbir, stuck to the basics and put on an unbeaten partnership of 44 runs to take their team to a historic victory.
The history of Bangladesh cricket, in fact, has been full of ups and downs. On a number of occasions in the past, the team having a good number of talented players had disappointed the nation just because of their poor temperament. Bangladesh team, known as giant killers at times, is still placed at the bottom rung of the International Cricket Council (ICC) test and ODI (one-day international) rankings. If Bangladesh players had raised enormous hope by their excellent performance in one international game, they dashed the same in the next game by their poor showings. However, things have been changing for the better in recent months as the players are displaying more maturity with both bat and ball and Bangladesh is now only a few basis points below West Indies in the ODI ranking table. The upcoming five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe scheduled to begin in Dhaka from December 01 next provides an opportunity to better its ranking.
There is no denying that infrastructure necessary to train up potential and talented budding cricketers are highly inadequate in the country. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is sitting on hefty amounts of money received from sponsors of matches and the ICC but it has not done enough to find potential cricketers from across the country and train them up for meeting international standard. There would be no dearth of help and cooperation from the ICC and other major test playing nations if the BCB make a strong move in this direction. While demonstrating measured response to achievements by the Bangladesh cricket team, the government should ensure what are needed most to improve the quality of existing as well future players.
It appears that Bangladesh cricket, at last, is poised to make its mark in ODIs, if not test matches that demand display of more patience, skill and maturity. All those qualities do not come automatically. At the first instance, a player has to be talented and only then through appropriate training and guidance, he or she may acquire those qualities to make his or her mark in the international cricket. The game of cricket has got a place for the first time in the Asian Games this year but it did not shine up to the desired level because of the absence a major cricketing nation, India and non-participation of many world-class players of the countries concerned in it for one reason or other. Hopefully, cricket would make in the next Games a stronger presence through the full-fledged participation of all test-playing nations of Asia.