For the last one week cricket has been exciting. A week back, I had written a post where I had said that, this edition of Asia Cup will have no meaning unless Bangladesh do something special. Bangladesh have indeed brought life and meaning to this edition of Asia Cup. I hope history will remember the 2012 Asia Cup as the tournament that gave birth to a competitive Bangladesh. I hope the entire Bangladesh will celebrate this edition of Asia Cup as their first real step into becoming a proper cricket playing nation. People of Bangladesh who saw this tournament should tell stories to their grand chidren of a hero called Mushiqur Rahim, who shed tears on loosing a famous final. Years from now, they should talk about Sakib al Hasan whose journey into becoming the greatest ODI all-rounder began in Asia Cup 2012.
Bangladesh have always been a side, which look to threaten the opposition for a while and then they revert back to their normal self of being the minnows. A great opening start would be followed a staggering middle order collapse. They only used to give a scare to the oppositions which lasted for a very short period of time. They did win a few games, but each victory was followed by a dry spell. Whether it was Pakistan in 1999 or Australia at Cardiff or India in the home series and the 2007 WC, each of these victories did not follow up with any significant performance.
Probably after NZ whitewash this tournament is the biggest Bangladesh have achieved. They have competed at the same level in 4 different games against 3 different teams and won two of those games. At no point in the tournament they looked like a side that could be written off. Every time, they could like some other team coming in disguise as Bangladesh.
So, have Bangladesh risen to the peak we all had always hoped for? Or is it yet another spark which they have shown but is likely to go away. I do feel their home performance has been really good in the past one year. They did pull off a win against England at WC and have had really memorable Asia Cup.
Where does Bangladesh go from here? They are yet to be tested when they bat first. We still do not know if their batsman can set totals and whether the bowlers can defend them. They are yet to compete abroad. There is still a long way to go for them to become a very good cricketing nation. But, these baby steps taken by Bangladesh are very encouraging and I am pretty sure, there would be any eye-balls closely following Bangladeshi cricket.
Bangladesh have always been a side, which look to threaten the opposition for a while and then they revert back to their normal self of being the minnows. A great opening start would be followed a staggering middle order collapse. They only used to give a scare to the oppositions which lasted for a very short period of time. They did win a few games, but each victory was followed by a dry spell. Whether it was Pakistan in 1999 or Australia at Cardiff or India in the home series and the 2007 WC, each of these victories did not follow up with any significant performance.
Probably after NZ whitewash this tournament is the biggest Bangladesh have achieved. They have competed at the same level in 4 different games against 3 different teams and won two of those games. At no point in the tournament they looked like a side that could be written off. Every time, they could like some other team coming in disguise as Bangladesh.
So, have Bangladesh risen to the peak we all had always hoped for? Or is it yet another spark which they have shown but is likely to go away. I do feel their home performance has been really good in the past one year. They did pull off a win against England at WC and have had really memorable Asia Cup.
Where does Bangladesh go from here? They are yet to be tested when they bat first. We still do not know if their batsman can set totals and whether the bowlers can defend them. They are yet to compete abroad. There is still a long way to go for them to become a very good cricketing nation. But, these baby steps taken by Bangladesh are very encouraging and I am pretty sure, there would be any eye-balls closely following Bangladeshi cricket.
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