Last Day of Test Cricket at BNS

[rafiq]

Folks, amid the anticipation of an exciting last day of play, we may have forgotten that this is supposed to be the last day of Test cricket at the beloved Bangabandhu National Stadium. With the stadium to be turned over to football for the upcoming season, this is the last cricket Test to be played here unless there is a policy change in the future.

The expansive bowl seats only 35,000 when most people swear there are tens of thousands more when there is a full house. Most of us remember this place simply as "Dhaka Stadium". Since it was renamed to BNS, Bangladesh have played all of its Dhaka Tests here. But test cricket was of course first played here by Pakistan. The current Test against Zimbabwe is the 17th Test to be played here. Here is the summary of results of the previous 16:


P W1 W2 T D %R Ave Ave1 Ave2 Ave3 Ave4 R/6b

overall 16 2 8 0 6 62% 25.84 22.3 35.8 17.6 35.5 2.47

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Win Res Margin Toss Bat FO Match

- draw - - - n 1st Test Pak v Ind 1954/55 [394]
- draw - - - n 3rd Test Pak v NZ 1955/56 [415]
Pak won 41 runs lost 1st n 2nd Test Pak v WI 1958/59 [471]
Aus won 8 wickets won 2nd n 1st Test Pak v Aus 1959/60 [479]
- draw - - - n 2nd Test Pak v Eng 1961/62 [521]
- draw - - - n 2nd Test Pak v Eng 1968/69 [649]
- draw - - - n 3rd Test Pak v NZ 1969/70 [665]
Pak won inn & 175r lost 2nd n Final Pak v SL 1998/99 [1450]
Ind won 9 wickets lost 2nd n Only Test BD v Ind 2000/01 [1512]
- draw - - - n 1st Test BD v Zim 2001/02 [1566]
Pak won inn & 178r won 2nd n 1st Test BD v Pak 2001/02 [1584]
WI won inn & 310r won 2nd n 1st Test BD v WI 2002/03 [1630]
SA won inn & 18r won 1st y 2nd Test BD v SA 2003 [1642]
Eng won 7 wickets lost 2nd n 1st Test BD v Eng 2003/04 [1665]
NZ won inn & 99r lost 2nd n 1st Test BD v NZ 2004/05 [1715]
Ind won inn & 140r won 2nd n 1st Test BD v Ind 2004/05 [1725]

We hope one day this decision is reversed and Test cricket returns to this glorious venue.

[mafizraju]

i tell you why they are moving the stadium............. The name of the stadium which they couldnot change from Bangubandhu National Stadium to other crap due to political price, they decided to change the stadium all together so that the cricket board in charge, The SON of BNP Chairperson doesnot need to say the name of his mother's rival's father all the time......
after all it shows how helpless they are
.....................a real conspiracy theory........... dont see any other real reason

[fab]

Apologies if this is a stupid question, but where will subsequent Test matches in Dhaka be played?

[bourny3]

Lets give BNS a win in its last match like BD did at chittagongs last test.

[rafiq]

fab: i think Mirpur. no offense to anyone from mirpur, but who the heck is going to go out there?

I really enjoyed watching cricket at the BNS, Mirpur will take some time to get that kind of ambience. Fatullah stadium may be a better choice.

But this being bangladesh, a land where our own history gets rewritten (or not written, as the case may be), every decision can and will be reversed - I am confident of that!

Edited on, January 18, 2005, 7:40 AM GMT, by rafiq.

[Spitfire_x86]

First test match at BNS was remarkable for negetive cricket by both teams

BNS closed its doors as test venue with the most negetive batting displayed in recent test cricket.

What a coincidence.

[AGC]

How far from BNS is mirpur? How many seats? Nice stadium? Modern? Good facilities?

[Spitfire_x86]

Originally posted by AGC
How far from BNS is mirpur? How many seats? Nice stadium? Modern? Good facilities?

Mirpur is far away from BNS. In bus, it will take 30-40 mins to go to Mirpur. If the traffic jam is real bad, then no less than 1 hour.

Seats are less than BNS, but not bad. Facilities won't be bad when it's finally prepared for international cricket.

I think, If BD plays well regularly, then people will surely go to Mirpur despite the inconvenient location of stadium.

[AsifTheManRahman]

the BD govt sucks! why cant they give away mirpur to football?

[AGC]

Any pictures of Mirpur stadium?
Still can't believe they're giving away the city centre stadium to football!

[Tintin]

Whatmore in 2003 : Link

" The stadium in Mirpur is ideal for becoming the centre of Bangladesh's cricket. It also has plenty of space on the outside where a big gymnasium and indoor facility can be built. There's a swimming pool and I believe, provision for accommodation too.

" You see almost everything is in place there. Only thing needed is some renovation and construction. Even the Board (Bangladesh Cricket Board) could move there," said Whatmore during an informal chat with reporters at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday.

Mirpur stadium has a capacity of 60,000, whereas BNS has 36,000 Reference

[say]

Originally posted by rafiq
Folks, amid the anticipation of an exciting last day of play, we may have forgotten that this is supposed to be the last day of Test cricket at the beloved Bangabandhu National Stadium. With the stadium to be turned over to football for the upcoming season, this is the last cricket Test to be played here unless there is a policy change in the future.

................

We hope one day this decision is reversed and Test cricket returns to this glorious venue.

No need to get emotional and teary about last days of cricket @ BNS. Cricket is not leaving BNS anytime soon. Do not believe everything you read in the newspapers. I have read that kind of news that ‘BNS is for Football only’, ‘BNS given to Football Federation’ etc.. a hundred times but Cricket returns to this stadium all the time ( as this is the best place for big-time cricket in Dhaka). The executive decisions in Bangladesh mean absolutely nothing.

So take my word for it - we will see cricket in this venue next time we play a Test or ODI series at home.

[bourny3]

"Mirpur stadium has a capacity of 60,000, whereas BNS has 36,000"

This is much better.