Bangladesh Cricket: A Generation Too Soon

Ayush

The debate over BD is more or less over. They are truly an upcoming side and it is inevitable that they will start thrashing our team fairly soon.(in Test cricket too). Two dropped catches and two wrong decisions on day 1 made a huge difference to the second test.

Please visit www.banglacricket.com to get a better sense of what is happening in their cricket. The crowd there is extremely knowledgable about cricket and are the best cricket forums i have been too. Sadly it is not an Indian one :(


cheers

I think every side has to go through a period where they cannot play test cricket. BD is going through that period, and very soon they'll play it ... the doubts are cleared in recently concluded World Cup.

The author seems to be fanatically blind against Bangladesh.

Probably author does not know test records of India and other rising teams like Sri Lanka. They too had bad and good time.

It is just matter of time, when we will see bangladesh will start to beat other nations in Test cricket.

Even in ODI, Bangladesh used to lose every matches just few years before.

You have to be tolerant and honest.

Do not write this kind of crap.

I have to disagree with this as well. I think Bangladesh are an exciting and entertaining team to watch. Sure their tendency to throw it all away can be somewhat frustrating - but then outside of Australia every team does that.

It's not a question of timing in terms of their international status. It's a question - I think - of finding serious cash somewhere. If that can be done, Bangladesh will get consistently better.

Ayush

When you write an article please try to be consistent. When you ask to take away the test status from Bangladesh please include Zimbabwe and West Indies too. West Indies was beaten by England by a bigger margin on the same day. I can remember days when test matches against Sri Lanka and England were finished in three days. Why don't you come up with a criteria based on which a team's test status can be taken away so everyone is judged by the same criteria and if tomorrow India or Pakistan gets the same beating their test status can be taken away too. How about just keeping Australia as the single test playing country and let's play club cricket everywhere else for the next 100 years?

I think this is extremely prejudiced, and the article is a crap.

INDIANS PLAYED WITH 13 PLAYERS.

Have you watched the matches? Start with the first ODI through the last test. Umpires were unjust and partial with their decisions. They never gave LBWs or even caught behind against India. Even the clear ones where the TV replays were showing clear outs. For instance, in the first ODI Dhoni was clear LBW, the match was over, but India won because of umpire favors. Tendulkar was out two times in a test - twice saved in a century, but again umpires were all for him to play. The same thing happened quite a number of times in at least 5 to 6 instances. But when it came to Bangladesh umpires were easily giving out whenever the Indians appealed. Even though in at least 4 to 5 times TV replays showed CLEARLY it was not out - two times for opener Javed omar - one an LBW, another caught behind - all wrong. So MISTAKES with the umpires only happen for Bangladesh and Indians were spared the genuine outs. I believe Bangladesh would have one the first ODI and drawn the second test if umpires were impartial. India would have won the 2nd ODI only. It is obvious that Indians must have bribed the umpires. No one says that but with BCCI any corruption is possible. They would do anything so they can share the $1 billion bounty they gather every year from viewers and endorsements among the overrated players and the officials of BCCI.

If you have really watched the TV replays of all the outs without being an Indian and Bangladeshi, you would have thought like me.

India can't go far enough with this. Let the unpires do this against England. And ICC will be on its head. Just wait to see how India is thrashed by England in the upcoming tour. There would not be 13 players (umpires included) playing for India then.

I agree with the last commentator that UMPIRES were playing for INDIA. This was so obvious.

As much as I love watching BD playing cricket, I would totally disagree with the last two commenters. Suggesting that umprires were playing for is silly. But if you want to feel that you lost because of the umpires, you are welcome. As far as the England tour is concerned, I will not surprised if we do well. Since 2001, we have done well in all abroad series except the Kiwi series of 2002-2003 and the team is motivated enough to do well. If only we could get rid of our captain ..........or atleast the cot he carries whenever he is captaining on the field.....

rgds

rgds

I'd back India to do well in England as well. And the reason is our team is full of front foot players, so you would expect them to make rusn in England.

Ayush,

You obviously have a biased view when it comes to India. The reason for this type of article is because of India's recent humiliation in the world cup. You have to accept bangladesh as a true challenge and respect their competitiveness. These Kids are very young and make inconsistent decisions. That does not mean they can't play test cricket.

You as a author do not know your subjects and i am sorry to see this type of article appear in a respectable website.

Rony

As I noted in the article this topic was always going to raise the ire of Bangladeshi supporters. I thank you for taking the time to comment and offer your thoughts.

My biases left aside, one cannot argue that when it comes to real, uninterrupted Test cricket Bangladesh does not stand a chance against the big boys. The simple reason for this is that their cricket culture is extremely young and does not yet have the maturity to to excel at Test level.

All said and done, playing top flight cricket is great for their experience and skill level, but regularly getting thrashed inside 3-4 days will never do them any good. This is where regular matches against national "A" teams will help.

Before you start lambasting me for my perceived biases, take note of your own prejudices and how they influence your own views. None of you have been able to offer a creditable reason as to how Bangladesh's Test status improves the quality of cricket, their's or any other teams.

Scorpion,
If you read the piece carefully, you would have noticed that I did indeed Zimbabwe in Bangladesh league. I didn't dwell on them because this article was not about Zimbabwe.

"...this tour has proven that Bangladesh falls into Zimbabwe's league, when it comes to Test cricket, and do not deserve their full membership of the ICC." Then how come your favourite Indian team was convincingly defeated by Bangladesh in the recently concluded World Cup?

Kabir,
You're kidding right? That cannot possibly be a serious question. Read the bit you copied and pasted and then figure out what exactly I'm referring to.

I'm not sure how much cricket you watch, but FYI, the World Cup involves one-day matches, not Test matches.

Ayush,

Again you are showing your stripes. It would be a much better article if you could come up with a criteria in terms of what should be the criteria for taking away test status from a country. Nobody is saying Bangladesh is a very good test team now. Just like it was a very weak one day team in till 2005. You could write a similar article about Bangladesh one day team then and could ask for taking away the one day status. Woud you dare to say that now? Maybe you can because your stripes are so visible.

If you ever can come up with a criteria for taking away test status which I really doubt you have any intention to do, can you please go back and judge all the teams and see how many teams would loose their test status in the first 20 years of their test history?

Writers like you pop up everywhere after a series defeat by Bangladesh. I am sure you were deep asleep when Bangladesh was almost beating Australia last year in a test and Pakistan the year before. The best way to answer a writer like you is to perform in the field and I am sure those days will come but writer like you won't have the guts to write a piece then.

MR AYUSH wrote: "To be brutally honest, except for a moment or two in the very first ODI, the Bangladeshis were nothing but pretenders"...Anyone watched first ODI..out of 100 overs of the game, Bangladesh were in a winning situation for 90 overs, India were 144-5 at one stage, and almost sure to lose. Dhoni and Karthik then pulled it cautiously. But again Dhoni was not given genuine LBW when he was 20 or something. So India basically won because of umpire favors. SO MR AYUSH you say "FOR A MOMENT or TWO in the very first ODI" - gest your facts right. India played well for a moment or two in first ODI, BD dominated the first ODI. You are just like your captain Dravid, you said, 'a win is a win' after a poor face-saving show helped by the umpires. SO get your facts right before you write something about others. I think most Indian players are PRETENDERS with overhyped endorsement deals and average/below quality performance in the field helped by bribed UMPIRES. Why is no one writing why UMPIRES not giving genuine outs to India and wrong outs("mistakes" huh) to BD. India won second ODI genuinely. But the tests, I would say Bangladesh were set back by poor umpiring, India on the contrary helped by poor umpiring. India did not overwhelm BD - read the cricinfo article for that day. Bangladesh played in the tests below their potential perhaps because this was their first test in thirteen months. ANYONE IN GENUINE faith WOULD AGREE THAT some of the CENTURIES by indian batsmen were not centuries, they would have been out couple times - seen the replays? (also read the note at the end of this article)

COMMENTS CONTINUED FROM ABOVE

MR AYUSH -

LOWEST EVER TEST SCORE: India were all out for 42 against ENGLAND in 1974, all out in just 17 overs. (Test # 740). THAT's HOW MANY YEARS AFTER PLAYING test? Write it in your column.
India all out for 66 against South Africa in 1996. (Test # 1347). THAT's HOW MANY YEARS AFTER PLAYING TEST?
INDIA all out in ODI for 54 against Sri Lanka in 2000 at Sharjah. (ODI # 1652).
THAT's HOW MANY YEARS AGO? Seems like yesterday.

BD never had such low scores, ever - the ones I cited here for India. These are humiliating. India should have been stripped of test status in 1974 according to you. DO you want me to write more? CHECK the record in CRICINFO.

Bangladesh getting stronger in tests. Last seven eight tests BD played in 2005 or so, they beat Zimbab.. , they were very nearly beating Australia - it was a close call, and also played fantastic in Pakistan - again they were close to beating them. So if BD lost to India I don't see if there is any sane person in the world who would claim that BD should not play test because they lost to India. Mr AYUSH, are you in sane
mind? Bangladesh is a fast improving side, and they will whip Indian boys when they play test again soon. So MR AYUSH you don't want another PAKISTAN like whipping neighbor whipping your boys regularly. Is that why you are suggesting BD not to play test based on one game where UMPIRES helped your side. WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT this UMPIRE THING? Is this a NO-NO in cricket that you cannot point out partialties.

CONTINUED*********

CONTINUED********

Oh SO GREAT INDIA! They beat Bangladesh in a test series. They are the WORLD CHAMPS!!!! And BD should be out of test cricket, is that what you can come up with? YOU CAN JUST NEVER TAKE THE FACT that BD beat the CRAP out of your team in the WORLD CUP - what a humiliation, my gosh - at the biggest stage, I can understand that you have not sleeped since then.

Mr AYUSH, were you here in the world in 1974. Why didn't you write an article after the world record 42 runs by India. I am sure you were around in 1996 when S Africa whipped you for 66. Did you write an article then - India should be stripped of test based on that result.

You just cannot take the fact that BD will be whipping India very soon. Next time you play test, you will know.

I have seen the world cup. Indians had this same vain-pride attitude - oh BD, they should not be playing cricket. YOU LOST in utter humiliation.
And so the pain in MR AYUSH begin. BD will be whipping Indian boys in tests very soon, the next you play - mark my word. Ultimately your answer will be given in the field and not in writing cause you are a blind man who does not understand logic.

PLEASE know your subjects better before you write an article. Belittling others does not help your side.

CONTINUED*********

CONTINUED*********

N.B.

LBW and CAUGHT BEHIND should be a TV replay decisions - some referee from the stands will say whether it's out or not - field umpires even don't have to signal for replay decision - it should be automatic, you can know sure-fire whether it's out or not, JUST LIKE RUN OUTS. This will be hugely against the big-bulley teams like India - cause usually decisions go in their favor, they are barely given genuine LBWs against so called weaker teams - that's why these changes are not happening. We are playing
cricket like it's the medieval time. If I were ICC chief, I would have made the game more scientific by doing these two automatic TV replay decisions - no one has to appeal - it will be 100% correct - you are out or not.

END*****

Thanks for reading,

Paul

Mr AYUSH, you wrote to Kabir: "I'm not sure how much cricket you watch, but FYI, the World Cup involves one-day matches, not Test matches."

Why do you insult others? Doesn't he know what's test and what's one day cricket. Everyone knows. Things you say does not have any value any longer.

Even the song "the summer of 42" lasted longer than the Indian innings of record low 42 runs.

Scorpion,
Nobody could derive meaningful criteria or benchmarks to decide which team receives Test status or is stripped of it. Any decision to grant or strip Test status is based on gut feel and a deeper understanding of the game and an appreciation of the skills required to be successful at it.

You called for Zimbabwe to lose their Test status. I totally agree that they should, too. However, what criteria are you applying when calling for Zimbabwe to be demoted?

At the very least, it is the ICC's duty to ensure that no team is humiliated at will by the established nations, when playing Test matches.

Bangladesh have done well in the odd match against Pakistan and Australia. However, you cannot argue against the fact these Bangladeshi performances have been rare - extremely rare.

PS. These views are not new - not from me and not from most other people who hold similar feelings.

Paul,
As a person with the interests of the game at heart, the passion you show for your team makes me believe that Test cricket might one one day have more than eight teams who can regularly challenge each other.

I welcome the day when we will see Bangladesh in a position to challenge - "whip", even - the established nations, including India. It will mean that Test cricket is in great shape and moving forward.

I urge you to channel your passion into helping your country become a real power in the game of cricket.


Russ,
If you or anybody attempts to take a quote from my article out of context, I reserve the right to offer an appropriate response.