All in all, how much would you give the Bangladesh team for the South Africa tour out of 10? Those who are thinking more about how it ended are unlikely to give high marks. After such a dismal performance in the Test series, why should they dole out any marks at all!
But what if you take the ODI series into account? Bangladesh didn’t have a single victory in South African soil against South Africa before. But this time they won an entire series, that too against a full strength South Africa side! They lost the second ODI but that was on a wicket at Johannesburg which the South African cricket experts themselves termed very difficult. So, if you don’t give Tamim Iqbal’s team 10 out of 10 then you are definitely not a fair examiner.
It’s not like the team shouldn’t get any marks for the Test series either. Recall the first Test in Durban one more time. Till the fourth day’s afternoon, did anyone think Bangladesh would lose the match by a mammoth 220 runs? Before Bangladesh’s second innings, both South Africa and Bangladesh had equal hopes of winning. Anyways, when has Bangladesh ever played good Test cricket in that country! If you don’t evaluate an entire Test on the basis of just one innings, you have no reason not to give Bangladesh 7/8 out of 10.
Now let’s talk about the Port Elizabeth Test. In one word, Bangladesh played terrible cricket. Terrible batting on both innings almost made us forget how brilliantly the South Africa tour had begun! The last Test has casted a dark shadow over the tour’s report card. But not taking the ODI series and the first Test into account while giving the marks won’t be fair.
Bangladesh has been a good team in white ball cricket for the last few years. Especially at home soil, for them there is not much difference between having Zimbabwe or teams like India, Australia as opponents. The match invariably ends in a win or defeat, but Bangladesh now has learnt to believe themselves as winners till the fat lady sings. This change in mentality is something to be celebrated. Bangladesh will need more time to reach this position in Tests. And that’s just not because of the ability or the lack of which of the cricketers. Just like the players, Bangladesh itself still hasn’t adjusted to red-ball cricket. Test cricket history, Test culture and domestic structure have a link with performance in red-ball cricket. Hoping that a tree would bear flowers and fruits in abundance without its roots first reaching deep into the soil and it being properly watered is a bit hyperbolic.
Even after tearing apart the Bangladesh team with criticism for getting bowled out for 53 and 80, we have to accept that Bangladesh still has a long way to go before they can find regular success in Test cricket. In Tests, they will seldom play well, win or draw a game– we must have the mentality to accept this as proof of their progress and accept their defeats.
For whatever reason, many of them now believe that no matter what they do, even if they get all out for 53 and 80, they can’t be criticised for it. They welcome praise for playing well but find criticism for playing poorly unacceptable and ramblings of people who don’t understand cricket.
Still, there is criticism and that results from the people’s expectations from the cricketers. These same cricketers play well and make us dream of bigger wins. Then when they bat childishly and get out for 53 and 80, it’s bound to hurt the fans. But how much do the cricketers keep note of the hurt felt by the cricket fans? Do they know that this hurt comes from the love people have for this game? Everyone’s criticism won’t follow cricketing logic and that’s expected. But the reaction comes only from one thing, the hope of getting results from the cricketers they love.
Seeing this byproduct of love from an antagonistic point of view seems to be the biggest problem of the Bangladesh cricketers at the moment. They are showing maturity in on-field performances, but are still immature in this aspect. For whatever reason, many of them now believe that no matter what they do, even if they get all out for 53 and 80, they can’t be criticised for it. They welcome praise for playing well but find criticism for playing poorly unacceptable and ramblings of people who don’t understand cricket.
Even people who accompany the cricketers are doubtful of how much the players feel remorse after performing poorly. After making a mistake on the field, the cricketers are more curious about what the people are saying, the media is writing and the people on Facebook are saying rather than what the coach has to say. Inside the team, those criticisms get counter-criticism, which negatively affects the young cricketers. They get taught that national team cricketers are above all accountability. Their lack of interest to return the fans greetings with a cursory glance is shocking!
But not all cricketers can be blamed for this. There are always some exceptions, who find inspiration even from criticism. They know, that cricket in Bangladesh is a love affair. There will be hurt and also repentance to end the hurt.
*This report appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ashfaq-Ul-Alam Niloy.