Will the sun shine for long?
The skies were grey for the Tigers for most of this year. But with the advent of the winter and the arrival of Zimbabwe on these delta shores, a whiff of pleasant air replaced the gloom in the form of a sweet 3-0 Test series sweep for the Tigers.
You may call it a mission accomplished, a historic success or a much-needed boost for the Tigers ahead of next year's World Cup. Some may even term this success as another false dawn for a team languishing at the bottom of the elite table. But in terms of visible gains the victory is a step forward as the Tigers moved into the ninth position in the rankings, pushing Zimbabwe to the bottom.
And if it was a mission it was achieved at a price, as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had to spent approximately an additional 4 crore taka to accommodate an additional Test in an otherwise two-match series. And arguably the BCB got the full value of it.
Every first-of-its-kind success is historic. And 3-0 win against the backdrop of so many defeats coupled with low team morale following sacking, punishment and mental breakdowns, is unique to say the least. Besides, the way the home side gradually improved their performance in the three-match Test series, especially in terms of batting, certainly served as a tonic once again and solidified the team like a happy family.
The energy they brought into the games till the last day was outstanding. It was refreshing to see some top players returning to form. All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's performance was not surprising given his pedigree, but the way the young bowlers responded was encouraging. Above all the individuals' achievements brought the desired team success.
But then comes the million dollar question: Is this success a true yardstick of improvement?
Without underestimating the individual performances, nobody would have accepted anything other than a win against a team like Zimbabwe at home, so in a sense, Mushfiqur's side did the job that was expected of them.
They played against a team who hardly had any ideas about how to handle spinners but things will not go so smoothly when the Tigers meet teams like Pakistan, India and Australia next year at home. It is not easy to measure the toughness of Tigers against a team like Zimbabwe in their own den, only tough opponents can give a true assessment of the Tigers' toughness.
The success against Zimbabwe came as relief no doubt, but the authority cannot shrink from their duty of improving the standard of domestic cricket in order to challenge the top teams in different conditions. We have been talking about the issue for a while and the voices became louder from every corner when Bangladesh floundered in the longer-versions against mighty opponents. But we have to talk about this issue in good time.
The energy, the enthusiasm the authority shown in the international affair is needed also in the domestic circuit; otherwise it will be the same old story of the monkeys climbing up and down the oily bamboo stick. And only when the proper measures are taken can we ensure that nothing can take the sunshine away from the Tigers.
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