A public boost for Bangladesh's 2015 test

The Bangladesh players watched their own highlights reel from the World Cup, projected on the giant screen in the main stage as their felicitation was winding up on Saturday in Dhaka's Manik Mia Avenue.

Some of them took photos of those on-screen moments while the others either had hands on their team-mates' shoulder or stood and watched. Coach Chandika Hathurusingha pointed something out to captain Mashrafe Mortaza, and when it ended some of the younger players took the opportunity to take selfies with the crowd behind them.

With the late afternoon sun sinking behind the buildings and trees on the west end of the Manik Mia Avenue, which runs along the south end of the Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban (the national parliament house), the players became a collective silhouette on stage. It was a poignant moment as they watched what they had done and contemplated what lay ahead in the rest of the year.

These cricketers gave joy to their fans by reaching the World Cup quarter-finals, but with sterner tests awaiting them in less than a week their consistency will once again be under the spotlight. Ideally, they would want to put their World Cup performance in the shade, unlike on Saturday when their World Cup performance put them in the shade for a few minutes.

Eight years ago, Bangladesh's form took them to the Super Eights of the 2007 World Cup and then took a tumble. In 2015, they are scheduled to face Pakistan, India, South Africa and Australia. It should be seen as a platform to prove their mettle. The fans already see it that way.

Then there was a call to action. "You, especially, were with us throughout the good and bad times," Mashrafe said. "You were always there with us. I hope you will always support us as long as Bangladesh plays cricket. We have big assignments this year. We start with Pakistan on April 17. Hopefully you will all support us and we will try our best on the field."

But this was not a day for worry. The BCB had organised a public reception for the team that qualified to the World Cup's knockout stage for the first time, albeit three weeks after they returned home.

The programme began at around 2:30pm and the Bangladesh players took the stage a couple of hours later. They were called up one by one by an energetic Athar Ali Khan, Rubel Hossain was given the loudest cheer and whenever he felt shy, one of his team-mates would forcibly raise his hands in a move to appease the fans.

Several organisations and institutions presented Mashrafe with bouquets while the BCB directors put garlands on the cricketers. The number of people on the stage was a reminder that this was not just a celebration for the cricketers, but also an occasion that was lapped up by politicians and other influential people.

Amid the chaos, Mashrafe delivered an anecdote that showed how the public views its team: "I want to thank the honourable Prime Minister. After every match whether we lost or won, she called us. She spoke to me and the rest of the team. She gave us the confidence to do well. She is a big fan of cricket and I hope she will always be with us."

Sheikh Hasina was Prime Minister the last time a Bangladesh cricket team was felicitated in front of the parliament as well. On April 14 1997, she received Bangladesh's ICC Trophy winning side at the airport, took them to breakfast at her residence and brought them to the spontaneous reception. There she raised the players' hands in celebration to an audience of 50,000 people. It was the first day of the Bengali New Year, and Bangladesh had won the trophy the previous day in Kuala Lumpur.

This was a much milder event by comparison. Around 5,000 people turned up by the time the Bangladesh team were invited on stage. Most were concerned for the residents in the southern and central part of the city as they struggled to cope with one of the major east-west arteries being closed since morning due to the function. With international cricket around the corner again, there is a danger that this Saturday afternoon will be remembered for what should have happened, than what actually happened.