Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque :
Certainly our cricket is coming of age. Spectacular series wins against three strong countries like Pakistan, India and South Africa have proved that Team Bangladesh has reached the height of international standard capable of defeating any over dogs at least in home conditions. They are now prepared to join championship trophy drawing very near. Pakistan was whitewashed, Team India was completely dominated and the Porteas went down 1-2. I would like to focus on South Africa, for a number of papers were written on India and Pakistan inasmuch as one day matches are concerned.
With comprehensive T-Twenty series victory of South Africa, Tigers were nosedived into the downward spiral of performance. The humiliation was frustrating but inevitable as our heroes after demonstrating a good deal of majestic performance against subcontinent’s powerhouses went down out of noting. Does it mean tigers’ spectacular rise has become nine days’ wonder!
We do not expect that our cricketers rise to the pinnacle of glory and then fall all on a sudden meaning – from the mountain to the hole. Tigers caught napping losing temperament punished by South Africa. The tigers seemed to catch a tarter with mighty and highly professional South African lions. The lions appear threatening the Tigers with fire and brimstone. It was a wakeup call. The visiting team, in fact, caught the Tigers stripping.
The fact is that three consecutive defeats left the tigers in the lurch. They lost rhythm. The team management tried to fight sight unwilling to face the media. Then with the victory that the tigers scored in the second ODI it seems that they have bounced back.. Our young cricketers really thought to identify themselves with cricket only not other way around. Cricket should be their life and dream. Go for perfection and improvement with rigorous training. They fought as a devoted cadre without any tendency losing confidence. The tigers were mental prepared for facing the SA Team in the second ODI. Bangladesh’s present ranking in ODI enables it to participate in the forthcoming championship trophy.
Even then it should try to win all ODIs in home conditions. There is a fear that if West Indies and Pakistan try to overtake Bangladesh in ODI ranking Team Bangladesh would not be able to join the championship trophy. So performing better with gradual improvement enabled the Team Bangladesh achieve victory against the Porteas.
The tigers forgot what happened as a thunder from the bolt. We expected turning wicket would do in our favour. Things turned otherwise – boomerang – all to our utter dismay. Please think how to make best use to turning wicket to upset the African lions in 50 over matches and in the tests. The team management by this time set for brainstorming to hit upon strategic planning with team selection, psychological counseling for confidence rebuilding and preparation of pitch.
Heartening to note that captain Mushrafi has expressed his firm determination to rise to the occasion leading the team to play with full rhythm.
Good luck to team Bangladesh and visiting South African Cricketers. Well We lost First ODI to Porteus. Congratulations to Porteas. The first game belonged to Kagiso Rabada as he picked up 6/16, the best figures on ODI debut. His spell also included a hat-trick that tore the Bangladeshi batting line-up apart. In the end, Bangladesh could only manage 160 runs on the board and South Africa chased that down, with 8 wickets in hand. They played well. Coming to second ODI tigers were up and doing to register a victory and they make it. Hats off to the team management and to our young boys.
Asked to bowl first bat first S. Africa scored 162 all out in 46 over. The tigers reached the victory target with 22.2 over in hand. The second ODI was like a role-reversal, with South Africa getting bowled out for 163 after opting to bat. Chasing a low total, Bangladesh were struggling at 24/2 at one stage, but a 135-run stand between Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah helped Bangladesh level the series.
.Last ODI happened to take place in Chittagong. It was somewhat affected by rains. Fifty over was reduced to forty over. Tigers were simply extraordinary with wonderful performance. They convincingly defeated South Africa. Lots of happy faces around and they deserve to celebrate this win. Mashrafi said ‘It was a clinical performance. After losing the first game, it’s always difficult to come back, but the boys showed a lot of character by winning the next two. The boys took the first loss very seriously and delivered brilliantly in the next two games.
The way Soumya is batting, it was nice to see. Shakib has always produced great performances for us. Mustafizur (Rahman) is bowling well too. Tamim too played really well. Hopefully, the boys will take this form into the Tests. I want to thank South Africa as well, for playing some good cricket with us. Thanks to the crowds as well. Please keep supporting us and we will keep performing for you.’Amla commented: ‘Very disappointed with the way we played. We didn’t read the pitch properly. It certainly got a lot easier after the rain break as the outfield got wet. We showed we are rusty, we didn’t play good cricket in the last couple of games. Bangladesh did and they deserve the win. Bangladesh have been playing good ODI cricket.
Tests are a different ball game altogether and we will look to turn things around when we meet next.’Soumya Sarkar is the Man of the Match for his 75-ball 90. He is also the Man of the Series for amassing 205 runs in the series. He spoke in Bengali. South Africa were outplayed in all facets of the game today. Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal came out with intent. Early into the innings, they were playing the balls according to merit. They defended the good balls and dispatched the poor ones to the fence. Soon, both of them found their timing and kept thrashing the bowlers all over the park. Soumya Sarkar was the destroyer-in-chief and kept smacking the visitors all around. Tamim gave him good support as well from the other end. Sarkar was looking set for another ton, but got out for 90 towards the end.
Tamim too reached his fifty and made sure that he stayed there till the end. The Proteas bowlers didn’t turn up today and Bangladesh deserved the win, especially after restricting South Africa to a low total. Before winding up I would like to comment that the tigers have scripted history. Beating Pakistan (3-0), India (2-1) and now South Africa (2-1), this is no fluke that they have beaten three of the top sides in international cricket, including two teams that featured in the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup.
(Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, Professor of Public Administration, Chittagong University)
