Series Salad
Shahidul Islam, Chittagong
Constable Badiul never minds being posted on duty by the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) at the MA Aziz Stadium. He is rather thankful to the CMP because, for a change, it gives Badiul an opportunity to enjoy a cricket match and a chance to have a glimpse of some of the game's big stars from close-range. Badiul was on duty during the home series against South Africa, England and West Indies at the 82nd Test venue. But, each time his enthusiasm takes a hit with seeing the local boys perform poorly. "I love Bangladesh and always wish the national cricket team performs well. But having seen quite a few games here my observation is that most of the players are not committed enough. They take their position in the team for granted and that's why I think they always under-perform much to the disappointment of the nation," said the policeman, who however hoped that the Tigers would do something special against New Zealand in this match. BORED OF BATTING
Two students of City College student Imran and Irfan can be described as patriots in every sense. They came to the stadium yesterday morning expecting that Bangladesh would be invited by New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming to bat after lunch. Then they could watch local boy Nafees Iqbal open the innings. But after waiting till 1.30pm the expected declaration never came and that was enough for the pair, who left the venue in sheer disgust. As they departed they expressed their frustration at the monotonous batting by the tourists. "The Kiwis really tested our patience by unnecessarily batting beyond the lunch session. Hopefully, we will be back here tomorrow to watch our boys fight back," said Imran before heading home. THE BELLES ARE MISSING
In the past, a large number of female fans used to seen at MA Aziz Stadium. They added a lot of colour and spice during a cricket match. But surprisingly, it is not happening this time against New Zealand. A game either against India or Pakistan brought ladies of all ages into the ground. Even when West Indies and England toured here, the presence of female supporters was very strong. "Perhaps unlike India or Pakistan, New Zealand don't have any individual cricketers, who can woo the crowd," said Tania, who was one of the few female supporters seated in the pavilion. Tania also said that she had no such prejudice and always loved to come to stadium whenever an international match was being played.
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