Killer of Giants

What else can we call this Bangladesh cricket team?

With India out of the World Cup I was finding it hard to watch or enjoy any of the matches. As I wrote earlier due to India’s early exit, I am supporting Sri Lanka but not that wholeheartedly. Then Saturday’s Bangladesh-South Africa match changed all that. Now after seeing how the tiger cubs mauled the then #1 team, I too have become a fan of this Bangladeshi team and I am pretty excited about the World Cup now as the fight for the semi-final berths is up for grabs. I have forgiven them for throwing us out of the World Cup and now looking forward to see Bangladesh’s remaining matches and their possible giant killing acts. I also hope to stay up late till the matches end. Bangladesh’s next possible victims are England, WI and Scotland. The best news for the Bangla team is that these teams are not playing well and this gives the Bangladesh team a real chance to win all three matches and find a place in the semis. And if they find anyone else other than Australia in the semis then they have a real chance of playing the finals.


India tours Bangladesh next. Before the World Cup, for India this was a “good for nothing” tour – just good to give the ‘minnows’ some fielding practice. Now with India yet to realise what hit them when they played Bangladesh in the World Cup, will surely want to save further embarrassment. For this, the Board is thinking of axing some senior players so the average age of the Indian team will match the average age of the Bangla team, which is 24. Now even if India is mauled by the tiger cubs at least there wont be any embarrassment. But I hope the so-called minnows trash our team like trash so that we learn some hard lessons. First of all we should learn not to treat anyone like trash. Second, never take any team lightly. Third, always keep up-to-date with the minnows’ progress.


With the coach’s place falling vacant following Chappell’s resignation Dav Whatmore whose term with the Bangladesh team is ending has expressed a desire to take up the lucrative and ‘prestigious’ job of coaching India. He is undoubtedly the perfect choice available right now. The wonders Whatmore has done with Sri Lanka first and now with this Bangladesh team is there for all of us to see. However, I think - for the good of world cricket - he should be with the Bangladesh team for a couple of years more so that he can transform them into a world beating team on a consistent basis. After that we can consider hiring him if he is still interested.


I am very much dejected and angry by India’s abject capitulation in the World Cup especially against Bangladesh. But after some introspection I am glad they trashed us in every department of the game that day and thereby make us look inward for a moment and realise where we stand in terms of being a Cricketing power and I thank those tiger cubs for that.