Smashing, awesome inaugural, but our game is another matter

The curtains for the ICC WC 2011 are up and we raised them and with a spectacular inaugural too. Such an event was a first for Bangladesh. At least in designated neighbourhoods the city literally took on a new look, so much so that gawking was common. In the inaugural, the stadium — Bangabandhu National — in stunning regalia was packed to its limits.

A lot had gone into making this event a success. To give an example, Kaniz Almas Khan, MD Persona, personally supervised 170 plus beauticians who toiled on more than 2,300 performers from three countries for six and a half hours. And when those performers in colourful costumes appeared on stage and performed with backup music, sound effects and the light magic the effect was electric. And then there were the fireworks, the mother of all spectacles.

Before the show however there were a few harmless glitches. The PM's speech went smoothly. It was brief, to the point and inspirational. Ironically, it is the words of some of the lesser ones that people may remember longer.

The state minister for youth and sports repeated for good measure (lest you believe something else) that this was the opening ceremony of ICC WC 2001! The finance minister referred to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Chairman as Chairman of the ICB (Investment Corporation of Bangladesh). The clever ones will make the connection immediately. But BCB is not ICB and there is no use pretending that it is. Not to be outdone, the BCB chief, when he had a go at the mic (and quiet a long-winded effort it was too) said among other things that the money spent for the event was around sharay teen show ponchash kuti taka or taka five hundred and fifty-fifty crore!

However, to the best of my knowledge there were no takers in the bet that Tamin would repeat his first-ball-wrong-line-swish against India. Bangladeshi gamblers were a nervous bunch at least this once. It is also called patriotism. Tamim was not dismissed cheaply but it was a tedious innings, so unlike him like he was neurosurgeon dealing with something extremely complicated. He was tired like all our players.

For me, one of the most exciting things in world cricket today is Tamim Iqbal in full flow. Then there is our intrepid skipper Shakib Al Hasan, another lefthander who is a handful, with bat or ball, in any form of the game.

But the first game against a rampaging Sehwag didn't make us happy and though Bangladesh did manage 283 when you place it against 370 you become glum again.

One has to admit though that ours is a gutsy team. They certainly want to win and the mindset for at least quiet a few years has been exactly that: we can win and so we must try to each time. There is a catch however: with the self belief is also required discipline and respect for the opponent. Ask the coach what discipline means (he gets paid for it). For me respect doesn't mean bowing down and saying, "Saar, apnay boro my deeaar". It means looking him in the eye in all humility and saying "I respect you and I'm gong to whip you."

I don't think Tamin was thinking about what he had done to the Indians earlier when he cut their WC ambitions short and sent them home. That was quite some time ago. I think what was probably on his mind this time has to do with something more recent: the IPL snub. Must have rankled.

Before it all began, our skipper had given a good account of himself facing the media. When Ponting was speaking, Shakib was resolutely fending off imaginary flies and wiping imaginary sweat off his brow. There's a message here: he was sweeping away all problems—real or imagined. When he got the mic he said quite sincerely that he was going to try and beat the Indians. Dhoni, as would most wicketkeepers behind a batsman, quipped: "Why don't you say you'll take the Cup too!" What would have happened if we had batted first? Think we would have had a chance?

Dhoni also hinted just before the WC began that Indian bowler Sreesanth (replacing injured Praveen Kumar in this WC) is well on his way to becoming a star performer in a circus because he was losing interest in cricket big time. He was not amused by the bowler's recent on field antics. Who ever was? Sreesanth's latest tussle with Brendon McCullum and Ricky Ponting further unnerved the New Zealander and the Australian skipper when they were told that Sreensanth starts crying at the drop of a hat, just a word or two starts him going and that these days he doesn't even wait to be slapped and who knows what might happen after that? Foaming in the mouth and fainting? What? Both the cricketers said they would be careful around this guy that they didn't want a bawling bowler in their hands. What would the umpires say? What would their wives say? ("Did it feel good to make that poor boy cry? After we all saw Slumdog Millionaire?"). With Sreesanth either a wire is loose and he needs a shrink or one can do it the caveman way: slap him far harder and more times than Bhajji did. Imrul Kayes & Co did their bit and mauled him badly and he was the only bowler to receive such treatment but Sreesanth to his credit didn't get hysterical.

Our coach did not seem unduly bothered about the Mashrafee episode. The bowler's finger-wagging churlish behaviour might have upset a lesser man but not Mr Siddons. Some say he is fast becoming a Bangladeshi. As for Mortaza, all he managed to achieve in the end was to make a fool of himself. Some still believe Mashrafee would have made a difference. There will always be people like that.

We had played a warm-up match against Pakistan which we lost, but our players had a good practice. The coach displayed no sign of pessimism. If anything he was upbeat. In three matches the number of catches a team can drop is five or thereabouts. Coach Siddons also hinted that our bowlers practiced thoroughly which line and length to avoid like the plague to begin with. Problem was, they forgot all that when Sehwag and Kohli were in the middle. Will they remember that the Irish had embarrassed them before and are ready to do it again?

Anyway, our players should forget about the fantastic inaugural and the game against India and instead concentrate and fight hard against the Irish who are known to fight the hardest. In fact, they seem to care more about the fighting than winning or losing.

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Ishrat Firdousi is a journalist, writer and a cricket enthusiast.