Hi Guys

[Miraj]

Hello friends,
I am from Pakistan, after reading the posts here it seems like you guys are taking Cricket as some sort of way of life, nothing short of religion. I also feel that this passion is only in following BD cricket. Cricket is just a game, and you guys should take it as a game.

I follow cricket but not just Pakistani cricket. I could care less if Pakistan team win or lose, I would not even have cared one bit if they had lost the game in Peshawar, at one point it looked that they would lose the game. I even wanted Bangladesh to win that game; the better of two teams in a game should win, in the end Pakistan came out on top, and one day in one of those games Bangladesh cricket team would be on the top.

The way cricket is played in Pakistan is probably not played anywhere in the world, because we take it as a game and we play it as a game. How many of you here have really played cricket I mean real cricket at club level? If you go to any Pakistani community in Pakistan or abroad any at least 60% of the guys have had played real competitive cricket at club level, even street cricket in Pakistan is very competitive.

About two years ago I had a chance to play with Aminul Islam, and Akram Khan in NJ/NY. We became good friends, while talking with him I felt that he was kind of in awe with the way we the regular players from Pakistan who never played any first class cricket understand cricket so well and play it on par with any first class cricketer of Pakistan, The reason for that is everyone plays cricket in Pakistan, the ones who makes it into the first class but never makes it into the international cricket are probably as good as any of the players who are playing in test team such as Hafeez, or hameed, the difference between their game do become apparent after these players spend some time in international arena, then those players become much batter. The funny thing is that a regular street cricketer is probably as good as the ones who play first class cricket, the only reason these street or club level cricketers don’t strive for first class cricket is because first class cricket is too tie consuming and it does not pay as much plus they lack that passion for the game, guys prefer to go to universities and peruse other career goals rather then waste time in fist class cricket, but still play cricket as a game every day in streets, and once a week at club level in grounds with hard ball.

Unless at least 60% of young guys 12 and up start playing cricket just as a game for enjoyment, until then it would be hard for Bangladesh to get good quality team. I was playing cricket in my backyard when I was 4 years old. So stop being so obsessive about cricket as a passion, and start playing the game as a game.

[Zobair]

Welcome miraj!

I think I got the point of your post.

1. You don't care who wins even though a pakistani, and you want the better team to win. Good for you bro!

2. Most Pakistanis are as good as first class cricketers whether they are first class cricketers, or engineers, or bus drivers or whatever, because they play a lot of cricket from their childhood. Cool! Once again boss, good for you.

3. You want us to play lots of cricket and make it our favourite past time so that we have a larger talent pool. Thats your advice right?! Well, I don't know if you have been to Bangladesh, but here is a humble suggestion from me! If you have the opportunity do visit Bangladesh you will see exactly how many youngsters have embraced cricket as their favourite sport, and find out the number of cricket clubs that exist in Dhaka alone and see if you can count them on the digits of your fingers!

[Mahmood]

Welcome to the board Miraj.

You have to remember one thing, we are luckier than you being the fans of a test nation that was born yesterday. We have started with zero and slowly making one step at a time. We have been there for the team from the beginning. We smile at its success and cry at its failure. You on the other hand, were born seeing Pakistan play test, doing good or bad is not importent to you as your nation was never under test status threat in your lifetime. You have it all granted.

For us, every game for BD cricket is crutial at this moment as all the critiques are dying to have ICC take the BD test status away. For us, losing all matches in WC is much importent where you already won a WC, its a "been there, done that" thing, no big deal.

[Miraj]

Yeah I m sorry, i guess we have a different prospective then you guys when it comes to cricket.

I think in five years BD team would be as good as Paksitani, Sri Lankan or Indian team, all it takes is one cricket prodigy that makes his way into the team, and then transform a losing team into a winning combination. You will get one of your cricket prodigy in due time.

Wish you best of luck. I hope your first test win would come against India, and that too by an inning defeat.

[Edited on 30-8-2003 by Miraj]

[fwullah]

welcome to the board Miraj.

You see apart from myself and a couple of other guys, most of the Bangladeshis who are posting messeges in this board do not actually live in Bangladesh. They are either studying or working outside Bangladesh.

[reinausagi]

Miraj:

You wrote: "all it takes is one cricket prodigy that makes his way into the team, and then transform a losing team into a winning combination."

We do have one such prodigy! His name is Khaled Mahmud. He speaks English with an Etonian accent, and even has the added burden of having to correct his foolish coach Dav Whatmore when he errs on a forensic analysis of particular test match. Perhaps you as a person from Pakistan ("I am from Pakistan"), albiet one blessed with the benefit of a dispassionate view ("I could care less if Pakistan team win or lose") could enlighten us as to how we could harness thte power of this prodigy in, so as to maximize the TEAM's success. Just how does having a prodigy in a team ensure the team's success, seeing how there is no 'I' in 'T E A M'.

Your other suggestion of having "at least 60% of young guys 12 and up start playing cricket" has been duly noted. I have dispathced an e-mail to the Home Ministry with a Carbon-Copy to the Planning Commision in Sher-E-Banglanagar, to make this happen within six months.

Welcome to the board.

[Piranha]

reinausagi, good post.

Your sarcasm has a familiar ring to it. Have you been in Banglacricket.com for some time? When did you join this board?

To the older members ...
Doesn't Mahmud take you back to the good olde days of Morx?

[Arnab]

Well, if given a choice, I would prefer taking cricket as a way of life rather than religion. At least there will be no shamprodayik danga hangamas.

[fab]

Miraj

Welcome to the group!

The reason why we are so passionate about BD cricket is because we are anxious to see them win. With so many people making negative comments (eg Lillee, Hookes, Imran Khan etc) it makes us all the more want to prove them wrong - hence the anxiety, passion and what may seem like obsession on here.

I think after our team start to win a few games it will be different.

Also, sport is such a thing that it makes people very emotional and nationalistic. However this type of behaviour isn't limited to us BD cricket fans alone. Other examples are Indian cricket fans, Pakistani cricket fans, European and South American soccer fans etc

[samircreep]

As Bangladeshis, we also suffer from a huge inferiority complex and are insecure about our nationality. Just look at the way so many people have reacted when Latif spoke in Urdu (poor Salam, Barkat, et. al must be turning in their graves for that). Cricket is the only sport that lets Bangladeshi compete at the highest level in the international stage. hence, high standards are expected. When we lose, it becomes a national disaster and our easily bruised national egos become even more bruised. Losing also appeals to our masochistic side. It allows us to moan and bitch in our living rooms and proclaim how we as a nation can never be as good enough as our boro bhais, the Pakistanis and Indians.The Bangladeshi gene, like the Bangladeshi passport, is kinda worthless.

This is not necessarily a "bad" thing by the way. Napolean was a very insecure person too, remember?

[Kalbaisakhi]

Hi Miraj,

Welcome to the board of Banglacricket.At first thxz for disgussing about Pakistani cricket.Miraj u said "If you go to any Pakistani community in Pakistan or abroad any at least 60% of the guys have had played real competitive cricket at club level, even street cricket in Pakistan is very competitive".But here in Bd I also say that 60% boys like cricket very much.Here we have "NirmanSchool Cricket" which is very big tournament.Many good player r coming out and play our national team as a valuable player.In This tournament we selected many school throughout the country.U can realize that how we search player through out the country.But we have some problem.So that our player can not play heir real game.If we overcome the problem then in 3 years we can be a strenth in world cricket.

Thxzzzzzzz

[chinaman]

samircreep, talking about yourself? Are you okay man? Get some sleep, you'll feel better.

[amit]

It is good that u play competitive cricket. Even in India, almost 30% of all people who have touched a cricket bat have played some cricket for their club or their cricket academy, school, etc.

Even i always want the better team to win, being an Indian. It is always the team who plays better cricket on a given day wins. A team can hit, say 300 on 1 day and be blown off for less than 100 the next day. It is all cricket and anything can happen.

Even i do play cricket, but it is a very low club level and i play it only on weekends and that too on sundays mainly.

[Shafi]

Welcome To the BDLOVERS COMMUNITY Miraj.
Yes it's great to read your views but you don't know what is cricket here also!
Nice Post POMP and I agree with you.

Cricket is our blood and our lifeline and also it's one of the very few hopes of us.
Inshallah we will conquer
Thank You
Shafi