Guardian article on Bangladesh Tour to England

[capslock]

Why we should beat the drum for Bangladesh

Tanya Aldred on this summer's other cricket tourists

Monday April 25, 2005
The Guardian

Medieval Europeans thought paradise lay over the mouth of the Ganges. The cricket world does not see things the same way. Some time in the next two weeks - the actual date is still uncertain - Bangladesh fly into Heathrow for possibly the least anticipated cricket tour in history.

England's first Test visitors of the summer start their warm-up against the British Universities at Fenners on May 10, but already this country's mind is on the Ashes, the Ashes and the Ashes. County cricket reports are dominated by the form of Australians or potential England batsmen who might combat Glenn McGrath. In interviews England players are asked about the possibility of overwhelming the world champions in late August. None dwell much on the team flying in from Dhaka.

Even a visit by Zimbabwe, battling it out with Bangladesh in cricket's dingy basement, gets some publicity - if only of the anti-Mugabe kind. But Bangladesh's problems are overlooked. Natural disasters, yet another flood, or yet another monsoon; a literacy rate of 43%; a criticised human rights record.

Poor Bangladesh, once the flourishing artistic arm of the subcontinent, is now seen as the poor stepbrother of superpower India. The home of the Bengal tiger, the longest beach and the largest littoral mangrove forest in the world does not get a good press.

Of course their cricket record is abysmal. A succession of crushing defeats has prompted calls for Test cricket to be split into two divisions. But things don't look so bad when you compare them to India and New Zealand at a similar stage. Bangladesh gained Test status in November 2000 and won their first Test and series - against a weakened Zimbabwe - in January. It had taken four years and 35 Tests. New Zealand took 45 matches and 26 years to win a game, and India 25 games over 19 years. And neither of them had the pressure of a Test schedule that spares no blushes for the weak.

What bodes well for Bangladesh is the sheer volume and enthusiasm of their cricket following. Over 138 million live in the world's most densely populated country. Within minutes of Bangladesh's first Test win, Dhaka was swamped with thousands of drumming, flag-waving fans. A similar celebration followed when they shocked Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup and the nation was on the edge of a street party when they came within a rice grain of beating the same opposition in a Test last September.

It is unlikely they will win their first overseas Test this summer. The ECB has designed the toughest schedule possible for their debut Test tour here. Their batsmen, uneasy against the moving ball, will probably be greeted by seaming pitches at Chester-le-Street and Lord's. This will be followed by a triangular one-day tournament. The third side is Australia, leaving Bangladesh as the limp lettuce in a crispy baguette. Perhaps it is all revenge for England's tour two years ago when the team flew into a torrential downpour and were nearly embarrassed at Dhaka.

So the chances of Bangladesh making an impact are minimal. Even their one trump card, Dav Whatmore, may be out of commission by the time the series begins. Last week the coach signed a two-year extension to his contract but remains "very interested" in the juicier job with India.

The ECB should be praised for their choice of venues - tickets are selling fast at the Riverside, mainly for the prospect of Steve Harmison rattling through the tourists, and a Lord's Test is still unforgettable. It is just a shame they will find the conditions so alien. Had it not been for television demands (it would have made more sense to play the Ashes earlier (incidentally before Shane Warne could exploit the dry pitches) and host Bangladesh at the end of August - when they had a chance of making a noise over the din of the Ashes.

But it is we who need to show the most patience and understanding: to put on hold the Ashes obsession and enjoy what is here. Habibul Bashar is leading a young team eager to learn and one that will have thousands of keen supporters here. Less than six years ago we were the worst Test nation in the world - but we still wanted, and expected, our voice to be heard.

[RazabQ]

aaah - the guardian - just what the doctor recommends if you've been consuming the telegraph

The last para is the most telling one - and from my perspective, a convincing one to boot.

[Rabz]

...yeah....good article....

[PoorFan]

Lets show them a good performance, and let the guy write another good article.
Good luck to BD.

[opu_87]

they thing we are crap, they beat the crap out of us, but we will see, our guys is more confident i dount think they can will easily, lets shee thouse chickens what they can do against us, india is better than them and we beat the crap out of india, guys be proud of our tigers

[Shehwar]

I liked it....Well done to the author.....

[capslock]

Originally posted by opu_87
they thing we are crap, they beat the crap out of us, but we will see, our guys is more confident i dount think they can will easily, lets shee thouse chickens what they can do against us, india is better than them and we beat the crap out of india, guys be proud of our tigers

Ummm, ok....

[Trueblue]

Originally posted by PoorFan
Lets show them a good performance, and let the guy write another good article.

Guy? Tanya?

[mwrkhan]

Originally posted by razabq
aaah - the guardian - just what the doctor recommends if you've been consuming the telegraph

The last para is the most telling one - and from my perspective, a convincing one to boot.

Hmmm ...... Telegraph bashing eh?

Been in purgatory since '97 ..... with no end in sight alas

[PoorFan]

Originally posted by Trueblue

Guy? Tanya?

Ohh no.... I mean the lady.

[sadi]

yah a good one

[Desh Bangla]

Poor Bangladesh,

Why ya say that huh ? Our country is only 34 years old ok and think about all the british colonies how old are they ? Noone thinks that way . Yeah i know we are poor but not old like England and Australia after 100 years of the country anyone can be rich ....... Now stop this crap .

And the main shame with England they never won the cricket's world-cup ever when i thaught they invented the cricket . lol What a big shame ? hahaha ......

Edited on, April 25, 2005, 2:57 PM GMT, by Desh Bangla.

[Red Cherry]

atlast some good and sypathetic press for Bd.

[Locutus]

Good Article.
Good Luck to Bangladesh. Show the English whats you are made of. We are Bengali!!!

[billah]

Full of crap, to the very last drop. I already have my "Jutar Mala" ready for Boycott, for when we take 1 of the ODIs. I ain't jokin' either..

[Desh Bangla]

Originally posted by billah
Full of crap, to the very last drop. I already have my "Jutar Mala" ready for Boycott, for when we take 1 of the ODIs. I ain't jokin' either..

Thanks for supporting mate . After all these we have to grab one of the odi from England as they have all overseas players in the odi side and in our team all Bangladeshi so , proud to be a bangladeshi .

[Locutus]

If Shewag comes to Bangladesh and says I want to play for BD. What are you going to say? NO or YES?

[Desh Bangla]

Originally posted by Logen
If Shewag comes to Bangladesh and says I want to play for BD. What are you going to say? NO or YES?

Don't talk rubbish if Vaughan wants to play for India they won't give him a chance either . As we don't give Shewag a chance in bd team either atleast we are patriotic . Not even in our league players from overseas anyway . Probably some of them were before not anymore but they never played in the bd national team . So , the answer is No ........

Edited on, April 25, 2005, 4:26 PM GMT, by Desh Bangla.

[Locutus]

How do you know India won't give a chance to Vaughan? That's your point of view! Whats wrong with overseas player playing NCL. That just gives us some advantage. Our player learns better. If Habibul Basher wants to go to English League. What are you going to say? NO too? If you say 'NO' then that is the problem with Bangladesh today!

[Locutus]

OH by the way... Mehrab Hossian jnr and some other player are playing Australian cricket league. what are you going to say about that?

[billah]

I am patching one of my previous posts about the England series, for the "forum abuser". Seems appropriate for this thread:

England will begin the way England always does.

1. A long list of injuries will start emerging in the English press. This is done as a safety net, in case there is a dramatic failure.

2. England will start crying about being in poor shape with injuries and unavailabilities of its best players. This will go on for about 2 weeks.

3. Next, they will put up a mock fight in the practice match, if any, just to throw us off. They will make some of our players look good intentionally. The match will be a draw, where they will intentionally make us look competitive. They do it as part of their strategy to create a false sense of security for our team.

4. Next, Vaughn will give his "Aside from a Whitewash, we expect our men to fine tune themselves for the next ever-important series " statement to the press.

5. The series will start. The English press will cover the matches as if England alone is taking the field against an invisible opponent.

6. Any anemic, "slower-than-molasses-in-January" type fifties by the English batsmen will take front page banner headlines.

7. Any "unexpected" failure, snafu will be squarely blamed on their injuries, bad luck, weather, stock market, the Haley's comet, El Nino, umpiring and unfair play by the opponent (not in that order). In case of an accidental defeat, "We just let them do this to us" would be the dominant theme in the press for the following weeks.

8. Any new records by an "Englishman" will be immediately rewarded by bringing the queen to the field for awarding knighthood to the player in mid-game. The players, umpires, groundsmen, referee and media will be instructed to call him "Sir Pietersen" (ok, ok that was too obvious) at all times.

9. An upcoming rookie English sportswriter will post a 10-line consolation column in a second-string publication for us. We at BC will find it, open a thread about it and will discuss it for weeks while making excessive use of the thumbs up emoticon.

Look, realistically, we need a Test draw and at least one ODI out of this series. Not for their respect, but just to keep our learning curve in the right direction.

[Desh Bangla]

England gives a chance to everyone caz they never won the world-cup haha . They need to learn more ... The official cap of Bangladesh looks like Baggygreen's cap it's better quality cap too .
ya right Billah bhai we need a test draw and atleast a odi win against England I hope we can do it if we can play our best .

Edited on, April 25, 2005, 4:47 PM GMT, by Desh Bangla.

[Desh Bangla]

[quote]Originally posted by billah
I am patching one of my previous posts about the England series, for the "forum abuser". Seems appropriate for this thread:

ya know i am the "Forum Abuser" just to support Bangladesh , just to say proud to be a Bangladeshi . Anyway who cares ? Still i will say Bangladesh will win and win a big big time .....

[Tintin]

9. An upcoming rookie English sportswriter will post a 10-line consolation column in a second-string publication for us. We at BC will find it, open a thread about it and will discuss it for weeks while making excessive use of the thumbs up emoticon.

This is certain to happen. Many of the articles will be either patronising or critical. The latter will lead to lots of and too

[TheWatcher]

Originally posted by billah
I am patching one of my previous posts about the England series, for the "forum abuser". Seems appropriate for this thread........

Look, realistically, we need a Test draw and at least one ODI out of this series. Not for their respect, but just to keep our learning curve in the right direction.

I think this post should be a front page article.