THE sudden suspension of two brilliant bowlers of Bangladesh Cricket team now playing T-20 World Cup in India came as a big blow to Bangladesh Cricket at a time when our team made the debut as a big challenger to the ‘big cricket nations’ dominating the World cricket. Earlier Bangladesh was dropped from the 10-member test match group making it 8 forcing our team to play qualifying matches first to play World Cup. Many believe it was mainly a ploy of the big three like India, Australia and England to make our path to World cricket difficult. The fact is that Bangladesh has already created a team of best cricketers that include like Shakib Al-Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Bin-Mortaza whose presence in the field makes many uncomfortable. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended the two Bangladeshi bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny at a time when they are about to play important game with Australia, India and New Zealand. It is quite incomprehensible why the two umpires — one from India and another from Australia — suddenly raised question on their ‘illegal’ bowling. Taskin is treated as one of the pillars of Bangladesh Cricket team. Arafat’s performance is no less impressive. Many believe that their suspension in hastily carried out game test following the allegations about bowling appears pre-motivated. Bangladesh Cricket Board has already made a plea to ICC to review its decision. We believe that the injustice meted out to Bangladesh team and particularly to the two young cricketers would be taken back. The team leaders hold the view that the two bowlers are playing over the past few years with those umpires and how their illegal bowling suddenly came to the notice of the umpires, which they did not notice in the past. The decision has created frustration and disbelief in Bangladesh team and people have condemned it by widespread protest throughout the country. It is unbelievable that Bangladesh team played a highly impressive game yesterday but lost against Australia in Bangalore despite a broken heart and poor preparation when replacement players were flown hurriedly from Dhaka. But the way Bangladesh team has been victimized before important games can’t be acceptable. Politicization and commercialization of cricket is now on the peak and it is about to destroy the beauty of the game. It is sad that the ICC similarly suspended Bangladesh team’s best cricketers in the past. The public harassment to former President of ICC and Bangladesh Cricket Board Chairman Mustafa Kamal keeping him away from distribution of prizes to World Cup cricket at Melbourne last year in which Bangladesh Cricket team was narrowly defeated by India was the most unfortunate event that showed the growing discrimination. Even in the Asia Cup Tournament played last month in Bangladesh, India narrowly won the game over Bangladesh and it seems that Bangladesh is increasingly going to be the victim of its own success.
