April 26, 2005

BANGLADESH CRICKET TEAM'S ENGLAND TOUR

Bangladesh cricket team's England Tour May -June 2005 is overshadowed by the coming Ashes Tour of Australia this summer. They are still the minnows and looked down upon despite their recent performance against Zimbabwe. Many are amused by the thoughts of its unequal rivalry against teams like Australia & England who have a cricket legacy of more than a century. Surely many world records are bound top be broken playing against Bangladesh, they think. And that is why there is no fuss in the international media about this tour.

Tanya Aldred writes in the Gurdian:

Poor Bangladesh, once the flourishing artistic arm of the subcontinent, is now seen as the poor stepbrother of superpower India. The home of the Bengal tiger, the longest beach and the largest littoral mangrove forest in the world does not get a good press. Bangladesh's problems are overlooked. Natural disasters, yet another flood, or yet another monsoon; a literacy rate of 43%; a criticised human rights record.

The chances of Bangladesh making an impact are minimal. But it is we who need to show the most patience and understanding: to put on hold the Ashes obsession and enjoy what is here. According to Habibul Bashar, the captain of Bangladesh Team, Less than six years ago we were the worst Test nation in the world - but we still wanted, and expected, our voice to be heard.


No matter how the performances would be, the Bangladeshi expats in England are ready to rock in the stadiums according to the Bangladeshi cricket websites (the home of some of the most relentlessly optimistic fans any team can wish to have).

The future of Bangladesh cricket, the under 19 squad had a recent tour in Australia and their winning record is 100%. This blog finds that there is no news of this tour anywhere including crickinfo. Theo Pickles, an Australian is the 'high performance, strength, and conditioning coach' of Bangladesh under-19 team and he thinks that "In terms of development it is a crucial stage for the under 19’s as some players prepare to play test cricket for Bangladesh, in some cases potentially within the next few years."

Coincidentally almost all the cricket coaches (of different levels) are Australians. The Australian influence in Bangladesh cricket is notable and I believe it has bestowed professionalism and encouragement for the fight forward on Bangladesh. The Australian cricket board has memorandum of understandings with Bangladesh cricket board to develop its cricket structure and thanks to that the result of improvement can be seen with the bare eyes.

Bangladesh under 19 squad captain Mushfique, who own a test cap on the England tour has this to say:

"Bangladesh haven’t been the best team in the world, but now we are a fighting outfit that have won some big games, and cricket is really improving in our country."

We are relying on young cricketers like Mushfique to take cricket to the next phase.

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