Anyone want to 2 tickets to the Bangladesh-Australia Champions Trophy match???

[Zeeshan]

Originally Posted by tanvir_nus
I have a story as well along these lines, equally if not even more heartbreaking and it even has a BC connection.

In the year 2012, the T20 WC was held in Sri Lanka, couldn't miss it this time as I missed the 2011 wc at home and I actually cried that time, first WC at home and I saw the cheerful celebration everywhere on youtube and whoever I talked to on the phone. Was living in Singapore at that time btw, so had to go this time, went with 6 other friends and the whole trip was organized around the first match between NZ and Bangladesh. The BC connection was that I contact Zunaid bhai before the trip and got Rabeed Imam's email address and organized a meet and greet with the players before the match, we were all students and had a Bengali community in Singapore so we actually carried two posters with everyone's signature and inspirational messages. Well, the original one was lost in the airport by the friend that was carrying it though, I went back to the airport and searched everywhere, couldnt find it, so had to forge up another one. I remember I signed for 5 others, when we took a picture with Mushfique everyone asked this is not the original poster and had to tell the story of what happened only then. That was quite embarrassing.

Anyways, stayed in SL for 5 days, traveled to a lot of places around the island. Kandy, Galle, Colombo in those 5 days and I loved Sri Lanka. I could go on and on but I would love to go back there, and it is so cheap. I remember once the sea started on the way to Galle it stayed that way. Lovely sceneries and everyone actually seemed very friendly and accomodating. Anyways, before the game started we were all excited to meet the players, I knew the hotel they were staying because Rabeed Imam had emailed me and let me know, so reached the hotel and I see all the players just wondering around looking at us but not really talking to us. Only Ashraful came and said oh you are the ones that flew in from Singapore, "khelar por dekha hobe", I shook hands with Tamim Iqbal and took photos with him and told him I recently changed my facebook nick to "Tanvir Iqbal Khan", at that time everyone was doing it and he actually laughed and seemed like a really nice guy. When we met Saqlain Mustaq he seemed friendly and said "Watching games is good but remember to pray for Namaz too", we had a hindu friend among us and he was like "Why is he telling me this". Thanks to Rabeed Imam and Zunaid bhai for setting that up too, unfortunately that was the only high point in that tour. We took everyone's signature on a bat we bought from Kandy, on the way to the hotelm, what happened to those bats after the match was another story. We went to the stadium playing "Cholo Bangladesh" on repeat mode, we were feeling really proud to be Bangladeshis. Although the feeling got destroyed in the next few hours.

What was to follow was a devastating series of blows by Kalam bhai. Reached century in no time, I remember Mashrafe started with 5 wides and it went just downhill after that. Only Nasir scored a half century and there was no other high point I could remember. Nasir took a spectacular catch right infront of us too diving. The way Kalam bhai scored a century took away all the fun we were about to have in the tour, we had tickets for West Indies vs Australia we didn't watch that, we also could have stayed back for the Pak game but chose not to. With the super 8 out of the question basically we lost all motivation to watch cricket, having traveled all the way there. When we came out of the stadium a couple of Sri Lankan kids were even mocking us calling us things like "Bangla stupidd". All of us had Bangladeshi jerseys on, and even painted our face with the flag so it was easy to spot us.

After the match obviously we didn't go back and meet Ashraful and co. I think if we went back there that night they would have been more welcoming, maybe. I sometimes blame myself, what if their concentration and focus had waned because of us being there before the match. One thing I did notice though at that time the players seemed unaffected with the loss. Like you could tell they just didn't care if they lost, I never told this to anyone but that's what it really looked like from outside. Well I guess these are all superstitions or guesses. So Zunaid bhai told me to write up a story on my experience in exchange to him helping me meet the players, after all these years here I am writing it, but I hope I made up with my piece on the Afghanistan match that happened in Canberra. Yah didn't write it till now because as you can imagine, I had a nightmarish experience going all the way to Sri Lanka from Singapore, spending tonnes of money, hyping the trip up and eventually getting thrashed left right and centre.

Should be fp.

[Shingara]

Originally Posted by al Furqaan
Well I have friends who cancelled a trip overseas for that very reason, and his wife is a white woman named Rachel.

I agree its probably overly paranoid, but better safe than sorry.

I was actually looking forward more to visiting the tourist areas, shopping at Herrods, and trying to figure out what the big deal about 'soi fita' in East London. My buddy is a real Bengali, although he speaks with a marked American accent. It would have been a good week to practice my Sylheti skills and introduce him to Sylheti culture.

It's Harrods.
Never heard of soi fita.
So, you want to introduce your Bangladeshi friend to Syleti culture by taking him to East London

[Shingara]

Tickets still available Furqan bhai?

[aklemalp]

I read that this match will be the biggest of the tournament.

An upset coming.