||CF Correspondent ||

The cricket fraternity is now completely immersed with the gala opening ceremony of the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL), almost forgetting the perennial defeat sequence that began just after the World Cup.

The BPL hype takes the center stage with Bollywood superstars, artists ready to ignite the Dhaka night on December 8. And the fans, people of cricket fraternity, who just few days ago, criticized the team, tried to teach the players how to be focused on Test cricket or other cricket, now lined up for tickets of the gala opening ceremony and the BPL matches.

With an aim to seal the semifinal berth, Bangladesh entered into the World Cup and the belief was reinforced once they won the opening match against mighty South Africa. The epic win over West Indies and then Afghanistan just kept them in the race of last four berths before they stumbled, losing consecutive matches against Pakistan and India. Bangladesh didn’t get what they expected but the talismanic performance of Shakib Al Hasan who became the first cricketer in the World Cup history to make 600 plus runs and claim 10 plus wicket earned the plaudits, making sure that Bangladesh’s name will be repeatedly uttered in the cricket’s biggest extravaganza.

But what transpired afterward could easily be considered as the worst phase of the country’s cricket. An out-of-sort and jaded Bangladesh turned up in Sri Lanka in absence of Shakib and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza in a three-match ODI series—the significance of the series after a grueling World Cup was vehemently questioned but the BCB remained mum. The players were literally tired and the lack of fitness was easily understood. Tamim Iqbal, who was appointed as captain, was going through a bad phase of his career and his lack of fitness was profoundly exposed. Bangladesh was whitewashed in the three-match series and what the nation saw in disbelief that the country couldn’t even challenge the young Sri Lankan side. But who knows it was just the start of a horrible sequence!

A new Test team Afghanistan literally made a mockery of Bangladesh’s Test status, winning the one-off Test by 224-run and that too in severe rain-interrupted five days, which almost cut short the Test to two and half days. What lowered the entire nation’s head that Bangladesh couldn’t survive just one hour in the last day when they got the opportunity to save the Test thanks to rain.

The BCB’s reaction was as if they give up the hopes to win a Test match even against a new nation, considering the fact that they don’t know how to play Test cricket. The player's reaction was that they didn’t get adequate match to prepare them for Test cricket.

When the BCB and players try to show logic as to why they are vulnerable in longer version format, the cricket fraternity saw an unprecedented incident as the cricketer’ called for an indefinite strike to increase the salary and other facilities. After some blame game, the BCB agreed to sort out all problems and gave the assurance to meet all their demands. When it seemed the things are now on track, Shakib Al Hasan was banned by ICC for two years, with one year suspended due to his failure to report corrupt approaches. Those two incidents happened when Bangladesh was due to take preparation for their first bilateral series in India, which includes three T20s and two Test matches.

There was a sign of some horrible experience even though BCB was able to handle those things. Tamim Iqbal kept him away from the tour, citing the reason to be with his wife who was expecting their second child. In a tough series, Bangladesh started a journey with their two key players. But still, they managed to win the first T20 in Delhi and even raised the prospect of winning the third one to win the series against an Indian side, who fielded their second-string team. However, India held the nerve to clinch the series by 2-1 before showing their muscle power in the Test series, winning both of them matches by innings margin and that too inside two and half days. That again raised the question about Bangladesh’s ability in Test cricket. Even Indian skipper Virat Kohli questioned Bangladesh’s domestic structure and at the same time said that the board and players should decide about their priority.  

There was a question about Bangladesh’s players’ desire to play the Test cricket also. Rumors were rife that they were thinking about BPL Players draft in the country when the Test is going on. There was volley question thrown to Mominul Haque, who was appointed Test captain just ahead of the series. Mominul held the journalists responsible to create pressure on the players.