ODI cricket is losing its relevance? The Asia Cup is an unglamorous appendage shoe-horned mindlessly into a packed calendar? Try explaining that to the teeming thousands who turned up at the throbbing and heaving Sher-e-Bangla Stadium to root for their side in the finals. For the record, Bangladesh lost their nerve after getting tragically close, in the process conceding the title to Pakistan by a two-run margin. But only a harsh judge would quibble about the final result at a juncture so momentous in a cricketing nation’s history. After 12 years of being also-rans, Bangladesh finally came of age in the Asia Cup. And it was no flash in the pan performance either – they were easily the most consistent side in the event and, perhaps, with a sprinkling of big-match temperament, would have taken the big prize as well.
Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal showed their class right through, but the real heroes for Bangladesh were the lesser names that put up their hands at various stages. Nasir Hossain, Nazmul Hossain and Nazimuddin showed that Bangladesh are finally ready to play as a team and that’s a victory in itself. India, who allowed their obsession for a mindless milestone hamper their chances of winning a match, will perhaps be the last team to ever under-estimate Bangladesh’s menacing abilities in the ODI format. Sri Lanka have plenty to think about after a depressing season, their woes exacerbated by a cash-strapped board that doesn’t pay salaries. Pakistan have reason to smile, finishing with the silverware in an ODI event after drawing blanks in similar conditions against England. But the biggest gain to cricket itself is the heart and spirit shown by the home team and the support the tournament received from an adoring public. Bangladesh – the team and the people – have finally arrived. And how!
