Rising above divide: The Bangladesh Cricket Team
Set in the backdrop of a tumultuous political state, the Bangladesh cricket side offers a fascinating story. The exciting brand of cricket played by the Tigers recently has seen them beating Asian giants like Pakistan and India. Add to that their brilliant showing at the ICC Cricket World Cup. Yet the impact of the team is far more than just winning games. The team depicts a quality which the majority of the nation has imbibed.
Since Independence, Bangladesh has been a strife-torn country. But the new generation is willing to change that. Ever since Bangladesh came into the world of cricket, they have been treated as minnows. Recent matches show why that is such a wrong belief.
Bangladesh’s troubled side
Back in 1971 when Bangladesh was liberated, President Mujibur Rehman laid emphasis on establishing a secular country. The Muslims were the majority, but there were people belonging to other religions especially Hinduism. Pre-independence, the Hindus had been the victims of the brutal Pakistani regime and that continued even after Mujibar Rehman was assassinated.
In subsequent regimes, the repression continued. It was in the 90s that democracy returned to the country and the repression died down. However, in the past few years, things have intensified once again.
In 2013, the International War Crimes Tribunal indicted several Jamaat leaders for war crimes against the Hindus in 1971. Immediately following the verdict, protesters gathered at the Shahbag square in Dhaka demanding stricter action against those indicted. Over the period of a month, the Shahbag movement turned into a mass uprising.
The government’s decision to execute those found guilty was met with wide support from the general public. But the Jamaat and the extremists reined terror both on the government and the people. Prominent bloggers were killed, women were raped, buses were burnt and so on.
However, Bengalis have this inherent quality of standing by one another in times of crisis. The Shahbag movement that began in 2013 and the several mass movements since then have been completely secular in nature. The Hindus and the Muslims have come together in support of the government and against the extremists. The secular spirit of the movement is what is reminiscent of the Bangladeshi cricket team now.
Cricket unites Bangladesh
Cricket has established itself as a religion in Bangladesh where it truly unites the public. Over the years, the cricket team has been largely dominated by Muslim players with the likes of Alok Kapali and Tapash Baishya being exceptions. However, over the last year or so, things have changed. A number of young, talented and exciting cricketers are coming up the ranks with many being Hindus.
Soumya Sarkar for one has become an integral player for the team. Young Litton Das came in for the experienced Mushiqur Rahim when the latter suffered an injury. Rony Talukdar made his debut in T20s recently. The openers Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar back each other up when one of them fails to deliver. It is this perfect blend of Hindus and Muslims; youth and experience; aggression and calmness that has enabled the country scale great heights in the cricketing world.
And it is this same blend that has made the movements successful. People who have come from different walks of life are united in their pursuit of fighting the extremists just like the cricket team is united in its pursuit of making a mark in the world.
The new generation cricket team
While the extremists and the Jamaat continue to wreck havoc, the protesters are not ready to flinch as yet. The uprisings and the movements depict a new found belief amongst the people. The new generation has made it clear that it is not going to sit back and let all the ugly things happen. Much like them the Mortaza led side is not willing to let the rest of the world take them for granted.
The appointment of Sri Lankan Chandrika Hathurasingha as coach has instilled in the side a new found belief. Riding on this belief, the team is conquering one opponent after the other; the latest being the Proteas.
The rise of the team is reflective of the awakening among the new generation. The cricket team is just a small representation of the protesters at Shahbag. As Howard Cosell puts it, “Sports is life in microcosm.”