The curious case of Bangladesh

For a nation that is about as fanatic about the sport of Cricket as any of its sub-continental neighbours, Bangladesh presents a rather curious case.


10 Years and 64 Tests matches as a recognized Test playing nation, this team still refuses to get out of infancy, and still continues to remain in awe of its opponents. 


The reverence and devotion that the Bangladesh viewers and players have for foreign superstars of the game is understandable. The sheer genius of the Tendulkar's, Akram's, Lara's, Warne's, Gilchrists's and McGrath's of the cricketing world has nourished and raised entire generations of cricket lovers and players all over the world, Bangladesh included. These once in a life time players have inspired millions to swing the bat or throw the ball, given a new facet to otherwise 2-dimensional lives, delivered an additional passion in life for countless many. People and players from Bangladesh too, as from anywhere else, must have been raised on fairy tales of these heroes.  


Uunfortunately for the Bangladesh team its homage, भक्ती , for these superheroes seems to spill itself on the cricketing field too. It acts like a side dish that they are unable to resist, which takes away the hunger that they rather keep for the main course. Their players seem to watch in joy and reverence their heroes in action, forgetting voluntarily or involuntarily that the Tendulkar's and Dravid's whom they grew up fantasizing, and who are wresting the game away from them at this moment, are not deities but foes and should be treated so at least for those 5 days on the field. (Just my theory).


Of course, there must surely be more pertinent technical reasons for Bangladesh's drought in ranking. But of the non-technical one's the one above stands out, at least so in my eyes.


Of the 64 Tests Bangladesh has played to date, it has lost 53. They have not managed even a single drawn match in 34 attempts against  Pakistan, England, Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka.


An overnight miracle would be too fantastic to expect but for the near future if Bangladesh even progresses from losing invariably to showing some consistency in achieving drawn games, it would be a reasonable achievement. 


It is time Bangladesh played with purposefulness. They do not lack the skills or resources to be more successful than they are. About time we saw a few international Cricketing heroes  from Bangla-land.