Requiem for the home team (26 October 1998)

26 October 1998

Requiem for the home team

By Shakil Kasem

As the lights 2000 lux or whatever get brighter by each passing evening, there is darkness in the shadows and the canyons of the Bangladeshi soul. The saddest spectacle on view in this cricketfest and carnival of lights, is the sight of Bangladeshi cricketers reduced to the level of paying public in their own country.

No less a person than Dr Ali Bacher has insisted that Bangladesh needs to get stronger as a side, if it is to play in a competition of this kind. Self respecting cricketers of this country may want to take this statement with a sizeable hunk of salt and try and read behind the lines. Whilst trying our best to get stronger as a side, should we not also acquire the required muscle as well to make ourselves heard within the ivory tower that is the ICC? While we are at it why not Kenya do the same as well?

It was deemed in their infinite wisdom by the framers of this competition that inclusion of any other teams, would have prolonged the duration of the competition. Translation; it would have inconvenienced the big brothers, the Group of Nine. We do not want to do that, surely. Perish the thought. What's the score by the way? 122 years of test cricket and only nine test playing nations? Hmm.

It is no secret that some from amongst the G-9 were less than enthusiastic about this tournament being held at all. Disneyland was a No-No, as the ICC figured that there were to many legal threads for comfort to be unraveled. Dhaka was initially shot down as a venue. Among the reasons being cited, the prospects of rains during this time of the year being the most pronounced. Strange how a few strategically planted whispers in a few select ears changed weather conditions in this part of the world, once Sharjah in turn shot down the idea of a tobacco giant sponsoring the event.

The point is, the regulatory body of world cricket did in fact bend over backwards to convince, cajole and coax the main protagonists to make this global meena bazar a reality. Would the cynics be wrong to assume that compromises were commonplace and rampant? Down, Fido. Ours not to reason why, is it?

Are we to assume that Bangladesh's inclusion was likely to have reduced the format of this tournament, to rubble, such indeed would have been the consequences of a tenth nation playing? Undoubtedly, such an earth shaking occurrence would have registered fairly high on the Richter Scale. Certainly the tight schedules of the Big Boys of world cricket would have been torn asunder, notwithstanding the fact that at least two of these teams were languishing at the Sonargaon Hotel since the 18th for six whole days before the tournament actually began. For sure, the frail Bengalee mind is reeling from the shock of even harboring such a thought. If indeed this tournament was meant for Test playing countries, why was it no test country volunteer to host it?

It is obvious that one must leave the whyfores and wherefores of Bangladesh's non inclusion, to more qualified minds to ponder and judge, as my rather inadequate store of grey cells is unable to cop with the demands of logic and reason.

As the pre quarter finals are out of the way, Bangladeshis at the Bangabandhu Stadium, perforce paid good money to cheer the histrionics of a bits and pieces English side and the exploits of a South African team sans Pollock, Donald and Gary Kirsten. Jonty Rhodes was expected to put on a show, which he did. For him, all in a day's work. Ho hum.

Perhaps the satisfaction of spending hard earned money to watch one's own home grown heroes and peers perform on the world stage, has its very own innate and intrinsic thrill, bordering on the orgasmic. It is perhaps because of this we should be forgiven for feeling aggrieved. But let us not kid ourselves anymore. Those hackneyed cliched phrases that international cricket would be instrumental for a cricketing revolution in our country, do not hold water anymore. We already have more youngsters playing cricket than we care to know. Will the tournament inspire the present lot of Bangladeshi players to perform better having watched a galaxy of stars at close quarters, well what is the point if they cannot play against them?

Globalisation, is a catchy term, but it runs the risk of becoming gimmicky, if certain issues are not addressed to everybody's satisfaction. For instance, this tournament will recorded under the heading of One Day Internationals, irrespective of the fact that only test playing countries are taking part. As to why only test playing nations should participate, and not also other countries with ODI Status, is a question that demands to be answered. Particularly since, there was no place in the world other than our own backyard where their tournament got played.

The one game, one world concept is incomplete if the world of one day cricket is segmented. Any arguments put forward by the powers that be to justify this discrimination is insulting to our national level of intelligence. It is frightening too. Colonialism is a hated term and that ideology was thought to have been dead and buried. It would be unfortunate indeed if a few stray embers of that ideology should ignite the flames of a future cricketing Raj. That is something we can do without.

Source:: The Bangladesh Daily Star (https://www.dailystarnews.com)