Bangladesh must not neglect Pakistan

In 2009, a group of terrorists attacked on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus at Lahore who were touring Pakistan to play Test and ODI series. And that incident had a seismic effect on Pakistan cricket. Pakistan lost its claim to host the last year’s ICC World Cup and it had become a virtual no-go zone for the international teams. And for which the cricket fans suffered terribly.

The stands at Lahore, Karachi and so on were found empty while the men in green battled home series after home series off-shore. The men in green were devoid of cheers from the home crowd and the Pakistani die hard cricket fans were left in the wilderness off not watching their heroes in action on their home soil.

For three long years Pakistani soil didn’t host a home series.

But suddenly there raised a hope.

Bangladesh wished to break the jinx by visiting Pakistan this year. A security mission led by the Bangladesh cricket board (BCB) chief Mustafa Kamal visited Pakistan, observed the match venues and other security issues and expressed his complete satisfaction. The team also met Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rahman Malik who gave them full assurance regarding security. Fully satisfied with security measures and other arrangements Bangladesh agreed to play matches at Lahore and Karachi.

But suddenly there was a twist in the tale.

According to The Nation, ‘The BCB later proposed to play the series on a neutral venue which the PCB ruled out for not being cost effective. The BCB thus deferred their decision of sending team to Pakistan until the ICC board meeting scheduled to take place in Dubai on 14-16 April.’

I am quite astonished by the attitude of our cricket board. But before this I was taken aback by another immature act of our board.  BCB of appealed for a 5-run penalty against Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup held in Dhaka where Aizaz Cheema was claimed to obstruct the field off our batsman Mahmudullah Riad. Bangladesh lost the final by 2 runs but in fact we won the hearts of the cricket lovers all around the world. Bangladesh wants to win games through playing matches and not by such dumb approaches. And off-course such an immature act met a justified result - The appeal was rejected by the ACC.

Let me return in discussing about the tour now. Still the fate of the tour has not been decided and certainly the Pakistani fans out there, hungry for cricket, are heavily disappointed with such a sudden twisted attitude of Mustafa Kamal. If Mustafa Kamal didn’t wish to tour Pakistan then he shouldn’t have given such assurances early on. As a chief of a cricket board one must have that sense of dignity and loyalty – he must be a man of words. And due to his sudden twisted attitude the relationship between the two countries is at bay.

Suddenly cricket fans from both the countries are involved in a war of words in the social networking sites and all these things are happening due to Mustafa Kamal’s twisted attitude.

Also, I came around with much fake news published in Pakistani print and electronic media which simply made things worse to worst. Zaka Ashraf continued to heat up the media rather than applying a composed measure. While at the other end our Mustafa Kamal’s colour continued to change everyday like a Chameleon.

But who are suffering the most?

It’s none but the cricket fans. The acts of the board chiefs have dragged the fans amidst of war of words which is absolutely unexpected. In my opinion the cricket fans must not suffer. I think Bangladesh must tour Pakistan.

Bangladesh must respond to those fans who are deprived of cricket for the last three years. We mustn’t forget Pakistan’s help in building our cricket when we had no hope. We were provided coaches from them, they had provided us ample support in the ICC regarding our Test status, they had supplied us players for our Dhaka League in the 90’s when cricket was still not popular and in the recent Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) it had been their players who were instrumental in making the mega event a great hit.

So far Pakistan’s act has been like a true brother and by talking with many of them I can realize their immense love towards our people, their sad feeling for us regarding 1971. But such an act by the BCB chief has been a bolt from the blue forms them.

The BCB is trying to take refuge behind the ICC’s inability to provide neutral umpires, match referees and other officials for the series. But the ICC has ensured in applying special rules regarding those matters. And I don’t see any problems in playing with umpires like Alim Daar and Asad Rauf who are world’s best umpires in true sense of terms.

You might ask me why the Pakistanis aren’t hosting the Australians in their own country with whom they’ll play in Sri Lanka this June. The answer is Australians didn’t give assurance like our BCB chief gave to PCB.

We can’t afford to hear words like ‘Traitors’ due to Mustafa Kamal’s acts. I don’t wish any bitterness between the two nations who enjoys a wonderful brother-hood. Mustafa Kamal must act according to his given assurances. Bangladesh should tour Pakistan in the name of brother-hood. Bangladesh must tour Pakistan to help their brothers resume international cricket. Bangladesh should tour Pakistan so that there lays more options of exchanging tours when Bangladesh will have no matches against the top teams. And surely playing against Pakistan’s quality attack will improve us more and more.

The tour’s fate is yet to be decided. But as an optimist I’m quite sure that Bangladesh will not neglect Pakistan.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Mahela Jayawardene - Sri Lanka's repair artist

I am a fan of the repair artists. I grew up watching Javed Miandad grafting the innings for Pakistan when the others around him used to dig their own graves. Javed Miandad left and I got thrilled to watch the grit over flair from the willows of Steve Waugh, Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Michael Bevan. Whenever the chips were down these disaster artists rose to the occasion to save their team after being jolted by a sudden shake.

These repair artists had a certain quality which the rest didn't use to possess. Many batsmen score runs, many batsmen cherish records but very few are able to become a repair artist. Very few can deliver the best when the going gets tough. They offer intensity and bring something significant to cricket. They just give grit a good name when the others are obsessed with flair.

In their game you find No Regrets, Never Satisfied, and Never Say Die.

At Galle and today at Colombo I enjoyed another Mahela Jayawardene's repair works. He came into bat and defied two hat-trick chances and went on to score hundreds when his team was traveling through the troubled waters. He stood up against the opponent’s awesome artillery with guts, resuscitated his team’s tattered batting order amidst of a disaster and painted two finest paintings on a the green canvas of Galle and Colombo.

Mahela Jayawardene came to bat at 15 for 3 and 30 for 3 respectively at Galle and Colombo. Sri Lanka's condition was shoddy. When Mahela tried to focus properly, he could smell perfume balls from the English pacers. But Mahela acted calmly and rather than responding drastically to a drastic situation, Mahela blended caution and guts with his cricketing skills in the best possible manner.

 Mahela started to repair the disasters at Galle and Colombo at first by dropping down the anchors, resuscitating the tattered innings with caution, got himself into the groove with astonishing authority by scripting strokes of high pedigree.

As soon as he got adapted to the situation we could see Mahela’s ability to milk the English bowlers with top quality strokes. The drives were executed with silky touches while the sweeps were just like a painter adjusting colours to his art with his painting brush.

Sri Lanka’s continuous feeding of limited-over’s cricket for the last three months or more had been evident in the first morning at Galle and at Colombo today. But the notable exception had been Mahela Jayawardene who made batting effortless and single handedly tackled the guile of the English attack with enough grit, perseverance and authority to ensure Sri Lanka had enough total on the board.

Mahela’s magical 180 proved critical in registering Sri Lanka’s win over England and how instrumental this polished knock of 105 at Colombo will be; only time will answer. But Mahela’s grit over flair both at Colombo and Galle has been an inning to cherish for those who don’t surrender to overstatements.

Mahela Jayawardene has always an answer for the adversities. He is a genuine leader and leads by an example when situation is muggy. Mahela Jayawardene is Sri Lanka’s crisis man when his team’s batting is in a mess. He is a repair artist.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar