BanglaCricket Article

Clich? though it may be, supporting the Bangladeshi team is very much like riding an emotional rollercoaster. With so many highs and lows that we endure in a single match, it is a wonder that most of us are not suffering from some form of manic depression. The recent test series in Pakistan has been no different to attest this fact.

In the 3rd Test in Multan, for the first time since Bangladesh started playing Test cricket, victory was finally within our grasp. Our hopes were raised to levels we never dared to hope, our dreams were finally about to be realized. But then came Inzamam who shattered our dreams and Umar Gul who further crushed our hopes. And so history repeated itself, Bangladesh had yet again lost a match. Dejected, disappointed and in shock, Bangladeshi fans were speechless.

But was this Test Series in Pakistan really all disappointment and little else? Nothing could be further from the truth. This series has been the most successful to date, and finally we are seeing noticeable improvement. The fruits of Whatmore's efforts to improve individual performances were displayed in a colorful array of accomplishments. Habibul Bashar's 2nd century and consistent batting form, Javed Omar's 1st century, Alok Kapali's hat-trick, Mohammad Rafique's 17 wickets, Khaled Mahmud's supposed return to form, no innings defeats, obtaining innings leads, the list is nearly endless.

These achievements finally give us a ray of light at the end of a dark tunnel. So now let us hope the team has learnt many lessons from this series and hope that we can continue to see this gradual improvement against England. Soon after that, we can set our sights for a win in the heart of Africa against Zimbabwe in 2004!