Why Bangladesh cricket needs Aminul Islam

As a fan if you wish to talk to Aminul Islam, then you will be surprised to discover a very humble person devoid of superstar-like-attitude. There will be no ego, no avoidance and no harsh behaviour, but you will be welcomed cordially and in the course of time, you will discover that Aminul Islam is just like your elder brother who will always be there to listen to you and make feel very special.

Aminul Islam is one of the most fantastic willow-wielders Bangladesh cricket has ever produced. His technique was well-equipped and temperamentally, Aminul Islam was rock solid. He was never shy to execute the hook or pull shot against the pacers while his astute footwork against the spinners was a treat to watch and his batting always put him apart from the rest of his team-mates in those days when Bangladesh cricket was in an embryonic stage.   

Aminul Islam is that cricketer from Bangladesh who alongside Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, Akram Khan, Golam Nawsher Prince and Minhajul Abedin dreamed the most impossible dream when cricket had hardly any trace in Bangladesh.

Since the birth of Bangladesh, it was soccer, which had been the most relished sports in the country and throughout the 80s, soccer’s popularity was sky high.

But amid this massive popularity of soccer, people like Aminul Islam, Akram Khan, Minhajul Abedin and co. carried the hope of cricket on their responsible shoulders. There was no fund for cricket in those days, there was no cash earned while playing cricket, but still these wise guys never gave up playing cricket because they were extremely passionate about the game. They just loved the sport, and for Aminul Islam cricket was ‘oxygen.’

One day, their dream came true. Bangladesh played their first Test at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka and Aminul Islam became a part of Bangladesh cricket’s folklore.

Bangladesh’s first Test hundred came off his bat and it was the most jubilant moment not only for every Bangladeshi but for Aminul Islam as well. The critics and the press had written him off before Bangladesh’s inaugural Test match, but Aminul Islam is a person who is well at home in silencing the critics – a magical 145 was scripted and the critics ended up with eggs on their face.

But surprisingly, his critics didn’t let him sit comfortably. Definitely, for a young Test team to get mature enough, you need the experienced players in the team and Aminul Islam’s batting would have been invaluable in the truest sense of the word. Just when he was getting accustomed to Bangladesh cricket’s new environment, suddenly, he found himself ignored by the selectors.

Keeping in mind the 2003 World Cup, there had been suggestions from a section of the press to get rid of the seniors and build a team full of youngsters! Thus, suddenly, the iconic figure of Aminul Islam started to fade away from Bangladesh cricket. He was not even allowed to participate in the domestic competitions! How pathetic can selectors’ behaviour be towards such an icon!

Ignored by the Cricket Board and harsh press, a bruised Aminul Islam flew to Australia where he is a permanent citizen and started cricket coaching there. In Australia, Aminul Islam had gained enough knowledge regarding cricket coaching. He then had been the part of the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) developmental program where he and others were given the responsibility to promote cricket in countries China, Myanmar, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

Aminul Islam took the responsibility of blooming flowers in China and so far, his immense hard work has paid off. In China, cricket is a revolution now. The Chinese have started to master this game.

Very recently, Aminul Islam has been made the tournament director of the ongoing Asia Cup. It has indeed been a well-justified reward for a man who has sharp knowledge of the game, who knows the intricacies of this sport very well and possesses enough international experience regarding cricket coaching and man management issues. Such people are an asset for any country. Any country would love to utilize his vast experience and knowledge for the well-being of their cricket.

But sadly, Bangladesh Cricket Board hardly bothered to recognize Aminul Islam’s knowledge and experience. Sadly, his enormous experience has never been utilized for the well-being of our cricket. But, does an icon like Aminul Islam deserve this? Shouldn’t his experience come extremely beneficial for our cricket? Not only his knowledge and experience, but his ability to nurture young cricketers would have helped our young guns immensely. His elder brother like presence would have been ideal in managing high egos in the team.

I firmly believe that Bangladesh cricket needs Aminul Islam. You can’t ignore that gardener who is accustomed to bloom beautiful flowers.

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 28/02/2014 Why Bangladesh cricket needs Aminul Islam 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Graeme Pollock's lion-hearted carnage at Cape Town

Smacked between the mountains and the southern point of the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places to visit. It is the gateway to a variety of natural adventures and natural explorations – from mountain climbing and botanical gardens to white shark and whale watching – Cape Town offers you all to add an adventurous flavour to your life.

A trip to the Table Mountain is a must everyone. You are sure to be seduced by the fantastic beauty observed from the mountaintop.

At the foot of Table Mountain lies the Newlands cricket stadium. If you are a cricket fan and visiting Cape Town during the summer times, then you can’t even dare to ignore the cricket carnival that takes place in the Newlands cricket stadium. The buzz around the stadium, the impact of its massiveness and the view of the Table Mountains behind the stadium is certainly an experience of a lifetime.

Summer in Newlands is always sizzling. Summer in Newlands is festive from a cricketing perspective and has witnessed some of cricket’s most fascinating battles and epic performances over the years.

A great start for the Proteas

In the summer of 1967, Bobby Simpson’s Australia were touring South Africa. The Proteas notched up a massive win in the first Test at Johannesburg. Despite trailing by 126 runs, the South African batsmen replied in a dominating fashion in the second innings.

The top order fired through Eddie Barlow, Ali Bacher, Graeme Pollock and HR Lance while the lower-order dented the Aussies bowlers through DT Lindsay and PL van der Marwe. Lindsay scripted a polished 182 runs and the Australians were left to chase 495 runs to win the first Test. But Trevor Goddard’s six-wicket haul crushed the Australians and South Africa took a 1-0 lead.

The Australian comeback

The second Test match was at Cape Town. But at Cape Town the Australians reply had been handy. They stormed back strongly to level the series in style. It had been an easy win for the Aussies, but this Test match was significant due to one man’s lion-heartedness and majestic carnage and that man was cricket’s most gifted left-handed batsman, Graeme Pollock.

Batting first, Australia posted a massive 542 with hundreds from Bobby Simpson and Keith Stackpole. Edie Barlow for the first time picked up five wickets in a Test match. The South African reply was shaky. Australia’s pace demon, Graeme McKenzie rattled through the Proteas top order and they ended the second day reeling at 56 for 3. Graeme Pollock, who came out to bat with an injured leg, was not out on 28 – 24 runs of which came from scorching boundaries.

The one-legged masterclass

On the third day it was warm and sunny at Newlands.  Beautiful sunshine and the deep blue sky over the Table Mountain gave an extreme intensity of colours, but that wonderful natural beauty remained unnoticed due to one man’s majestic batting display.

Graeme Pollock came out to bat at 11 am.

As the game proceeded, Pollock witnessed the fall of two wickets. HR Lances went back quickly to give the stage to Dennis Lindsay; the hero of the first Test. Lindsay’s dismissal was pretty unusual. He attempted a timid hook-shot off Renneberg’s bouncer – the ball rose sharply, struck the shoulder of the bat and rebounded fifteen yards Lindsay’s forehead to Renneberg’s outstretched hands as the bowler flung himself full length.

South Africa were 85 for 5 and in complete disarray! 

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. The stage was set for cricket’s most elegant willow-wielder to exhibit his extraordinary talent. He conquered adversity by dishing out one of the most ruthless and riveting knocks ever to be scripted at Newlands. 

Graeme Pollock had come out to bat in his normal number four slot, but was severely handicapped on the second day and relied on limited movements while scoring his 28. Pollock had strained a thigh muscle amidst a casualty list that included his brother Peter Pollock and Richard Dumbrill; South Africa had fielded three subs for most of the Australian innings.

Graeme Pollock took drastic measures and went on a rampage. A left-hander’s front-foot is the right leg and that being handicapped, Pollock shifted his balance on the back-foot and played his traditional cover drives relying on the back-foot throughout his masterpiece.

Each time the ball caressed the cover-fields, Pollock’s right toe was seen airborne as no balance being shifted there – it had been a sight to watch. It was a treat for the cricketing Gods.

In the next four hours, partnered by Peter Van der Merwe, the young maestro reached his fifth Test hundred in three and a quarter hours, after facing only 139 balls. But Pollock’s carnage was unstoppable. He continued to display astonishing courage and determination to give the South African total enough respectability.

There had been cut, pulls and drives of highest essence. The wickets kept falling at the other end, but the willow of Graeme Pollock didn’t bother to take any defensive approach but it continued to murder the Australian attack. When he finally nicked a wide one to HB Taber, Graeme Pollock had made an eye-catching 209 with thirty elegant and powerful boundaries. The innings built to crescendo with two Pollock brothers establishing a ninth wicket record of 85 in 67 minutes.

Though Pollock’s actual grace was missing due to an injury, but it was never short of a sheer pomp and sizzle. Those fluent drives through the covers and square of the wicket on the back-foot indicated the quality of Graeme Pollock’s batting abilities. Graeme Pollock’s adventurous knock was not enough to avoid the follow-on.

Pollock failed in the second innings, but solid batting efforts from DT Lindsay, HR Lance, DB Pithey and Peter Pollock helped South Africa to give the Australians 180 runs to chase in the fourth innings. The Aussies batsmen chased that down without enough hassles.

South Africa had lost the Test match, but that one-legged aggressive exhibition of high-profile batting by Graeme Pollock outshone Australia’s bounce back. Graeme Pollock’s innings is a part of cricket folklore.

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 23/02/2014 Graeme Pollock's lion-hearted carnage at Cape Town

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Mitchell Johnson – A terrible beauty who has brought back the fear of pace

What is more rip-roaring? The big sixes and cracking boundaries whacked by the willow-wielders or ferocity of the speed merchants?

To this generation which is more addicted to T20 cricket, it’s surely the resplendent willow-wielders of modern generation who take the bowlers to the cleaners in no time, and why not? It’s a batsmen’s world after all.

The tracks are more suitable for the batsmen and rules are friendlier. In the domination of the bat, the bowlers find themselves at the receiving end. Modern day cricket is more about the batsman vs batsman battle rather than a batsman vs bowler clash.

I started to get addicted to cricket in late 80s and in 90s, cricket became my heart and soul. In those days, world cricket was titillating. There existed great battles between the bat and ball and above all, there existed forces of nature – truculent speed stars who used to inject terror in the heart and mind of the batsmen.

Wasim, Waqar Younis, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Allan Donald were the wild beauties who ruled the rooster during the 90s. They were the perfect torch bearers of pace bowling after Imran Khan, Dennis Lillee, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and others before them.

But sadly, in the last decade, there had not been these wild beauties in plenty. The bat was found more dominant and it seemed that fast bowling will soon go the way of dinosaurs. In this commercial world, ball bouncing past the batsman’s head doesn’t attract sponsors any more. Ball beating the bat isn’t termed as financially lucrative. The result, is young men, who wish to become pace bowlers, sacrifice pace and concentrate more on mechanical bowling – line, length and corridor of uncertainty. That’s much less adventurous and dull indeed.

At the fag end of last decade, we witnessed the emergence of Dale Steyn as a force to be reckoned. But cricket fans like me wished for more predators like Steyn. I wished for the raw animal excitement. My heart craved for the terrible beauty. I wanted someone to trigger a Renaissance.

That ‘someone’ certainly has arrived to be reincarnated as the terrible beauty, to rekindle the days of Lillee and Thomson. At Brisbane, in the first Ashes Test, Mitchell Johson’s career took a new turn as he unleashed ferocious fast bowling which was beyond the imagination of English batsmen.

His bouncers were bowled with astonishing control that sent shivers down the English batsmen’s spines. He hit the helmet, he hit the arm and he hit the wicket columns regularly. The English summer in Australia was turned to nightmare due to Mitchell Johnson. Whenever Johnson ran into bowl, he found the crowd roaring his name – a sight which was so common during the days of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. Johnson finished the Ashes series successfully with 37 wickets.

After the Ashes, Johnson flew to South Africa and against the best Test team in the world, there was plenty to prove and Johnson hit the jackpot immediately.

In the first Test at Centurion, Mitchell Johnson was found even more wolfish than the Ashes. His each delivery were ripsnorting, each delivery gobbled the Proteas batsmen in the most brutal manner to leave them shell-shocked! His twelve-wicket haul has already dented the South Africans’ psyche and I am not sure whether they will be able to recover from the effect of such a high-profile fast bowling.

With that moustache, Mitchell Johnson gives the impression of a wild beast hunter who loves to hunt mercilessly and boy, he does hunt batsmen in a terrible manner. For him, fast bowling is not about pinpoint accuracy, maintaining a tight line-and-length outside the off-stump, but it’s all about killing monotony by essaying thrills and chills.

He is not about the splendour and grace, but raw animal excitement. He is about virility and violence and the wild intoxication that living on the edge can provide. No matter on which track Johnson will bowl, his viciousness will be the same.

Mitchell Johnson is modern cricket’s tornado who brings an endemic in the opposition’s batting line-up. As a fast bowler, Johnson is an ideal blend of raw-power, swagger, rhythm and anticipation. He is the crowd’s most wanted bunny – buzz goes around the stadium as soon as he runs into bowl – the crowd knows that an adventure is about to unleash that could be productive or calamitous, but can’t be dull for that is not in his repertoire.

Mitchell Johnson is a terrible beauty. He is the Renaissance for whom I was waiting. He is the revolution which the world cricket needed badly. He will be the catalyst to bring an end to this monotonous batsmen vs batsmen battle and abolish the trend of encouraging young guns to reduce the pace and concentrate more on robotic bowling.

His bustling pace and bone-chilling fast-bowling will change the taste of TV broadcasters which invest more interests on the bowlers’ miseries. Mitchell Johnson will essay a brave new world of vicious pace-bowling – a potent weapon which is rare these days.

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 18/02/2014  Mitchell Johnson – A terrible beauty who has brought back the fear of pace

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Bangladesh v Sri Lanka T20I: Please don't blame luck

For all the Bangladeshis, the Tigers had been their valentine this year. But not the kind of Valentine’s Day the Bangladeshis expected to celebrate. They all expected to rejoice as they were hopeful that the Bengal Tigers would bounce back in style in the second T20 international against Sri Lanka at Chittagong but sadly, they were left to rue as the Tigers could only gift them a gift hamper full of sorrows.

Like the first T20 international, the second one too went down the wire, but it was Sri Lanka who survived the battle of nerves and thus, leaving the Tigers stunned. Mashrafe Mortaza, the stand-in captain for the injured Mushfiqur Rahim blamed lady luck for the first T20 defeat and I guess so, he will blame the luck again for the heart-racing second T20I as well. Even, I guess, the local newspapers too will start blaming luck.

In the first T20 international in Chittagong, the Tigers came back strongly to strangle hold a breezy Sri Lankan start by exhibiting fantastic athleticism in the outfield by taking some acrobatic catches. The Lankan wickets kept on falling at a regular interval and it seemed that they wouldn’t be able to post a fighting total.

Bangladesh were in a position to restrict the Lankans below 150 but despite those mind-blowing fielding exhibitions there had been little effort to stop those singles and couples which the Lankans picked up with ease. Or, I think, I should say that the fielders were not set appropriately according to the bowling.

In the final over, the captain, Mashrafe Mortaza came to bowl himself and haemorrhaged 12 runs. One thing, I must say that, the Bangladeshi pace bowlers have never been effective in the slog overs. Time and again, they are habituated to get battered pathetically and in case of Mashrafe it was nothing different. Mashrafe should have used Shakib in the final over.

Sri Lanka posted a total of 168 for 7 and on a flat track it was not be a tough task for the Tigers whose batting order boasts with exciting willow-wielders. The Bangladeshis start was encouraging. Tamim Iqbal and Shamsur Rahman gave the Tigers a powerful start and after their departure Shakib and Anamul Haque carried on with an excellent 43-run stand. With wickets in hand and still ten overs to go and 92 runs more needed, it was expected that Bangladesh will bag the first T20 easily. But such an easy task was made difficult by the Tigers themselves.

In the middle overs, the Bangladeshi batsmen failed to fetch runs and dot balls led the asking run rate to escalate. Dot balls are a curse in this format of the game and they only build pressure to make mistakes. I still keep on thinking why the Bangladeshi batsmen don’t maneuver the strike and concentrate on picking up singles and couples. They are very important in any format of the game. They are vital to keep the scoreboard moving and easing the pressure.

In the crucial stages of the game, Bangladesh lost important wickets and the game, which was not supposed to be an absolute cliff-hanger, went down the wire. Bangladesh needed 17 runs in the final over. Anamul could only manage 14 runs as he was dismissed off a full-toss from Thisara Perera. That full-toss is still a matter of debate of whether it was a no-ball or not.

In the post match conference, captain Mortaza blamed luck, but before blaming he should have thought about his final over, the dot balls and the improper field placements. It was not all about the luck only.

In the second T20 international in the same venue, the Tigers’ batting was substandard. They were in such a hurry that it seemed they were more committed to celebrate Valentine’s Day. In the end a paltry total of 120 runs had been posted and on this track it was supposed to be a cakewalk for the mighty Lankan batting line-up. The Lankans reply with the bat as similar to Bangladesh. It seemed that they had found lovely valentine in Bangladesh and at one stage they were reeling at 50 for 6!

But the Sri Lankans fought back strongly through Kumar Sangakkara – Bangladesh’s biggest nemesis – throughout the tour and Thisara Perera. They scripted a vital partnership of 46 runs, which was built more on singles and couples which were fetched with ease and still, tonight, one could notice inappropriate field placements. Rubel Hossain dismissed Sangakkara and raised the hopes for the Tigers, but Perera kept on fighting hard and took the game to the last over where Sri Lanka needed nine runs off six balls.

In such a pressure-cooker situation, any captain would throw the ball to his best bowler and without a doubt Bangladesh’s best bowler is Shakib Al Hasan who has all the qualities to handle pressure in the best manner. But Mashrafe Mortaza threw the ball to Farhad Reza, whose gentle-medium pace is always a treat for the big hitters. And with sublime hitters like Perera and Senanayake around how logical it was to throw the ball to Farhad Reza remains a moot question.

Farhad bowled full but they were easy to pick up due to lack of pace, runs came in with ease and in the last ball when two runs were needed off one ball, Farhad Reza dished out a short of a length ball going down leg, which was dispatched by Senanayake behind square to make the Valentine’s Day an eventful one for the Sri Lankans while for Bangladesh it turned out to be gloomy.

Would you like to blame luck here? Shouldn’t Shakib be bowling the last over? Shakib already had two overs left to bowl. Even the nagging, Arafat Sunny’s full quota of overs wasn’t used. Again, the Lankans were given to pick up the singles easily. The urge to stop those easy-pickings weren’t there. Too many, bowling Farhad Reza the final over had been a Mashrafe Mortaza’s gamble. But, I think, it was an overcooked biryani which I couldn’t digest at all.

Blaming luck is a lame excuse. In most of the cases, your acts define your luck. In both the T20 internationals, Bangladesh made some silly mistakes for which they paid a heavy price. Always remember, “Shallow men believe in luck or circumstance. Strong men believe in cause or effect.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 15/02/2014 Bangladesh v Sri Lanka T20I: Please don't blame luck

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Kevin Pietersen: What will international cricket be without him?

The Australian summer had been hot for the English cricket team. It was made thermogenic by Mitchell Johnson’s terrifying pace. Jonathan Trott decided not to proceed further after the humiliation at Brisbane citing reasons of a depressive sickness, while Graeme Swann was to quit from all forms of the game midway through the series and the English team melted like an ice sculpture in the desert.

The Ashes was lost 5-0 and the tour ended in the most shameful manner. A revamp plan was on the cards from the English cricket officials but how can a revamp plan proceed without your most prolific performer?

I was vexatious in the morning as I came to know that, one of world cricket’s most dazzling willow-wielder, Kevin Pietersen has not been considered for the upcoming Caribbean tour and World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. In fact, the English cricket officials are disinterested to continue with KP. A batsman whose career spanned 104 Tests and more than 150 limited-overs appearances since he made his debut in 2005 will not be a part of England’s future rebuilding plan.

There’s a school of thought that KP’s exclusion is more of non-cricketing reasons. Whispers and rumours say that KP was quite unmanageable during the Australian tour. This has not been the first time that KP has been hard to handle, but in the past his egoistic personality had gifted world cricket enough controversies which always haunted his illustrious batting career.

Kevin Pietersen is a modern day great. Over the years, very few batsmen in world cricket had been able to stamp their authority at the batting crease with a graceful audacity like KP. Since KP made his debut, he had been doing this for England with an astonishing regularity.

Whenever he was needed to deliver the goods, KP would rise to the occasion and dent the opposition’s psyche by dishing out incredible knocks. His fearsome pulls, slog sweeps, switch hits and skating down the wicket to execute the falcon shot have been a matter of joy for the cricket lovers. He had been the centerpiece of England’s ascendancy to the top over the years.

Off the field, KP continued to give birth to controversies. His sponsorship deals with a jewellery company, his blonde hair and his decision to contribute more for IPL than England national team received enough harsh response more often, but it had been his egoistic nature which earned him severe and dismissive criticisms. His rift with the former English cricket team coach Peter Moores cost him his captaincy while for the message texting saga cost him his place in the team and central contracts though before the India tour he was reintegrated in the side again.

We must not forget that Kevin Pietersen is a maverick. Mavericks are flawed genius. They are the eager beavers. They are the ones who most of the times are driven by their passionate heart and are thus dissidents, adventurers, introverted, egoistic and rebels – ask questions, think independently and know how to fight the lizard brain, bend the rules and take risks. They are crazy the crazy diamonds. In modern day cricket, Kevin Pietersen symbolizes that crazy diamond.

Such crazy diamonds are an asset to any side as they are the goose which hatches the golden eggs. Such crazy diamonds must be handled with enough patience and smartness. Great captains like Imran Khan and Mike Brearley had shown how to deal with crazy diamonds. Mike Brearley’s authority over a wayward Ian Botham and Imran Khan’s total command over a perennially factitious team like Pakistan during the 80s remains a lesson for each and every captains of world cricket.

Paul Downton, the new managing director of England Cricket Board (ECB) stated that, “Clearly this was a tough decision because Kevin has been such an outstanding player for England as the fact that he is the country’s leading run scorer in international cricket demonstrates.”

He then added, “However, everyone was aware that there was a need to begin the long term planning after the Australia tour. Therefore, we have decided the time is right to look to the future and start to rebuild not only the team but also team ethic and philosophy.”

Surely, you should decide that “the time is right to look to the future and start to rebuild not only the team but also team ethic and philosophy.”

But how can you rebuild a team without that goose which hatches the golden eggs? How can you build a team without a maverick? Kevin Pietersen’s age is 33 at present and I believe that he still has that fire in his belly to reap rich harvests for English cricket for three or four more years. This maverick should have been handled smartly for three or four more years.

It’s still not clear why KP has been excluded and it’s pretty hard to rely on whispers and rumours as they are very toxic. The best maverick batsman of modern day cricket has been axed not for his batting abilities, but for non-cricketing reasons which definitely demands an explanation. But sadly, it seems now that, KP’s career is coming to an end or I guess, I should say that, KP’s career has come to a disgraceful end. What will international cricket be without this crazy diamond? It has already lost its enough luminosity.

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 5/04/2014  Kevin Pietersen: What will international cricket be without him?

Thank You
Faisal Caesar

What have you just done to Bangladesh cricket, Nazmul Hassan Papon?

The world of cricket is divided. Cricket’s most powerful and richest boards – BCCI, CA and ECB – have unleashed a list of proposals which can be nothing but unacceptable from whichever way you look at it. The enraged lesser cricket boards immediately raised their voice against the suggested proposals in the recently concluded International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai on January 28 and 29. Along with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLC), the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) raised its voice against the Big Three, too.

Though the Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Nazmul Hassan Papon initially decided to support the Big Three, strong protests from the die hard cricket fans of Bangladesh cricket, who took the streets to express their angst, and the cricket critics of the country forced Papon to take a stance against the proposed ICC revamp.

Bangladesh’s major concern with the proposition was the two-tier system in Test cricket, which will put the country’s Test status at risk. If it comes into existence, Bangladesh, along with Zimbabwe, have to play the Intercontinental Cup against the associate nations for becoming eligible to play a Test match against the top eight Test teams.

Hence, during the ICC meeting, Papon protested against the two-tier system, and in response, the ICC sorted out the issue by setting up a new clause, which says: “There will be an opportunity for all Members to play all formats of cricket on merit, with participation based on meritocracy; no immunity to any country, and no change to membership status.”

On hearing the assurance, the voice of Nazmul Hassan Papon became low-pitched, and he decided not to protest further more and shook hands with the Big Three. His main aim was to save Bangladesh’s Test status, and he had managed to achieve that. The other proposals did not bother him, and the gloomy future of world cricket in the near future is not all his headache afterall.

Surely, Bangladesh is not in a position in world cricket to think deeply about the other critical structural and financial issues. But shouldn’t the thought regarding the betterment of cricket have come to mind? Isn’t Bangladesh a part of world cricket?

With Papon accepting the revised proposals, the Big Three are now just one vote away from the number required to push through the constitutional amendments in order to fulfill their greed. Has the Bangladesh Cricket Board chief done the right thing by deciding to support the Big Three?

Papon arrived at the Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka and spoke in a manner as if he had won a big battle. Nazmul Hassan said: “We will be in a better position than others. We haven’t been to India in 14 years. We will go there to play Tests, they will come here too. We will go to England; Australia will come here.” The chief received a big round of applause as soon as he finished the short speech.

Has Papon been given any written assurance? If not, are verbal promises worth it? One must not forget how the BCCI has been dealing with the PCB regarding a bilateral Indo-Pak series in a neutral venue. Someday, it could be Bangladesh at the receiving end.

Again, whether the teams like England, Australia and India will be interested to play against Bangladesh amid their busy schedule remains a moot question. Bangladesh should sign a written agreement regarding the tour of India, England and Australia. Verbal promises have no values at all.

Moreover, before signing the Members Participation Agreements(MPA), did Papon read the proposal carefully? What does that ‘all Members’ in the readjusted proposal mean? Does that include only the members from the Test world or the associate members also? It’s not clear at all.

Then comes the “participation based on meritocracy.” What sort of meritocracy? Al-Amin, a sports journalist of Bangladeshi newspaper ‘Daily Star’ has explained this ‘meritocracy’ in a better manner: “Interestingly, the ICC has already adopted and implemented the concept of ‘meritocracy’ in the shorter versions. And this is why Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are playing the qualifying phase in the coming ICC T20 World Cup.”

Then, “no immunity to any country.” What does this ‘immunity’ indicate? Al-Amin has explained: “If we assume that Test cricket will be played in the future in the way that it is played now, then the question of relegation should not exist. But the words ‘no immunity to any country’ would only exist if there was the possibility of relegation.”

A quick look at the readjusted proposal might create a sense of ecstasy and make us all think that Bangladesh’s Test status is secured, but there is much more lying beneath it. I think Papon should have asked for more time to think about the proposal. Bangladeshis are known as fighters and don't get bogged down under any pressure, but I am afraid the chief has just done that.

Instead of siding with the Big Three, Nazmul Hassan Papon should have remained alongside Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. If further needed, Papon and the others who are protesting could seek the help of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and question the legality of the Big Three’s revamp plan. But, if Nazmul Hassan signs the MPA on February 8, will he be able to do that then? There’s still time to rethink.

If the Big Three’s promises to BCB do get implemented, money will flow in Bangladesh cricket as the country will get more opportunities to play against India, England and Australia. The promises of cunning minds can hardly be trusted, though. Deep down, I also feel that they are short term benefits. The Bangladeshi cricket fans might cheer, but as an ardent follower of this glorious game of uncertainties, I am concerned about the well-being of world cricket.

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 2/02/2014  What have you just done to Bangladesh cricket, Nazmul Hassan Papon?

Thank You

Faisal Caesar