Before the start of any international cricket series in Bangladesh, it is a very common sight to see a never-ending line in front of the ticket counter 3-4 days prior to the opening of the sales. These people will actually take pillows with them to spend their nights on the streets, waiting for the counter to open and buy tickets to watch their team play.
This is the kind of craze that this sport has in Bangladesh. I have never really fathomed it, but then I am more of a football fan than a cricket enthusiast. However, to some people, cricket means more than anything – and the count of these people is on the rise.
The basic reason for this is rather straightforward: people watch sports to let off the steam of stress from their lives.
“Most people go to illegal websites to relieve themselves from stress. I, however, prefer to watch Tamim Iqbal wrecking opposition bowling attacks.
“When Tamim Iqbal dances down the pitch and smacks the bowler out of the ground, it releases a lot of endorphins from my brain.”
While my cousin puts it out in a very crude and hilarious way, it is a fundamental truth that sports allows us to forget about the real problems for a while and focus on something trivial. Worrying about cricket is a luxury when compared to how the next meal on the plate will come.
The source of inspiration
Loving cricket isn’t something that arose after the improvement of the team, it stretches further back even before the independence. However, the consistent improvement of the Bangladesh cricket team has also seen a boom in the number of people watching the game.
There was once a time when the Bangladesh cricket was a source of ridicule for the fans. Teams used the Bangladeshi side as punching bags and it was only once in a blue moon – or a series against the depleted Zimbabwe team – when Bangladesh won.
However, the country kept producing talent. Bangladesh’s World Cup win against Pakistan – that helped them earn Test status – gave birth to a generation of young talents that aspired to do the same as Akram Khan and co. did back then: make the country proud.
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At that time, people saw a chance, a hope to do something for the nation. Football, despite being the more popular sport in the 90s, was very poorly handled by the people in power. In comparison, the tireless efforts from then BCB president, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, helped the team earn ODI status and, subsequently, play in international tournaments.
The fact that Bangladesh’s appearance in cricket tournaments also played a major role in young kids inspiring to be cricketers rather than trying their luck in football.
While football is still watched by many, especially during the World Cup, cricket is the sport that triggers the hopes and dreams of the fans. Nobody really believes that the country could qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
However, Bangladeshis dream, and believe, that the team will one day go on to win the cricket World Cup.
The rise also promoted the game
Ever since the Asia Cup 2012, the Tigers have been on the rise. In that tournament, Bangladesh, against the expectations of many, reached the final of the tournament – only losing by two runs against Pakistan.
Despite having a patch of bad form the following year, the team kept rising – especially after Mashrafe Mortaza assumed the leadership of the team. While the team might have players that are better than the captain, he has something no Bangladeshi player does: grit.
His unique swagger and selfless nature has moulded the Bangladesh team into something special. Never before has the unity been so strong. Being the senior-most member of the team, Mashrafe can yell at anyone if they are not giving their best, but he is also the first one to console his players when things don’t go in the team’s favour.
Ask any young Bangladesh player as to who eased him in to the team and he will certainly name the captain. Mashrafe’s influence is another reason why the fans so passionately follow their team.
This is a man whose knees are so damaged that he has to give special care and treatment to it after every game. In fact, there is a risk of him losing his ability to walk and spend his old age on a wheelchair – and yet, he is continuously serving the nation as passionately as possible.
The greatest reason
However, that’s not the greatest reason as to why Bangladeshis follow cricket with so much zeal. The greatest reason, perhaps, is because the people of the nation identify themselves with the game.
The struggle to earn Test recognition and then the effort to forge themselves into a team that deserves respect, Bangladesh cricket team is a miniature image of the people of the country.
Despite being a developing country with many adversities, we hope to rise above it all and become the nation that we dream to be – just like our cricket team hopes to go above and beyond the years of mockery and disrespect to win something major and announce themselves as one of the major teams in cricket.
This is perhaps why we love the game so much – it resembles us more than anything.
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