Successful event comes to a joyous end

What began with a slight hiccup ended with a bunch of youngsters from the Caribbean jazzing up the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium with their funky dance moves.

It probably was not a finish that a majority of the Bangladeshi fans would have wanted, but the one thing that is certain is that almost everyone enjoyed the sheer determination shown by the young West Indians.

Unlike a majority of the other Under-19 World Cups, this was a tournament that garnered plenty of attention from the beginning and as a result there was a lot of pressure on the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Right from the start, talk of a domino effect were doing the rounds ever since Cricket Australia backed out from the competition citing security concerns. 'Would the others follow suit?' was the question that had temporarily gripped the cricketing fraternity of the country.

Apart from handling the responsibility of hosting the biggest age-level cricket tournament, there was an extra onus of providing a flawless show in a bid to avoid any possible complaints.

And the way the tournament panned out eventually suggests that the BCB was quite successful in achieving its target.

From providing true wickets at the various venues to attracting thousands of spectators, there was plenty of enthusiasm throughout 

the course of the competition.

“Honestly speaking I thought this tournament exceeded expectations. The wickets were very good. It supported both batsmen and bowlers.

“The way these youngsters got a chance to play on these grounds was great and the fact that this was shown on television, all these things would do a lot for their development,” Ian Bishop, former West Indies cricketer and current television commentator, said after the game.

“Personally for me, the last one week or so has been the best in my commentary life,” he added.

India Under-19 coach Rahul Dravid echoed a similar sentiment.

“I think it's been a great tournament; the way it's been organised and the way it's been conducted, we really enjoyed the cricketing side of things.

“Yes, I must admit that at times the security has been a bit overpowering and we had to stay in our hotel a lot. It's not easy for young kids to be stuck in their hotel rooms all the time for 24 days.

“So that's been the hard part but overall, in terms of the cricket and facilities we got it has been fantastic and superb,” Dravid said during the post-match press conference.

“I have also really enjoyed watching so much of young talent from so many countries and to see so many of the associate nations participate and compete well.

“For me that has been the highlight. And obviously to see the success the West Indies have had considering the challenges they face. Obviously it's disappointing for the boys and us but I have to say I feel happy for the fact that the West Indies have gone on to win this match,” he added.

From Alzarri Joseph and Chemar Holder, two soft-spoken pacers who have already begun to remind many of the West Indies of the past to an accomplished leg-spinner in Nepal's Sandeep Lamichhane, from home captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz's brave all-round performances to India batsman Sarfaraz Khan's solidity, on the whole it would be fair to say that the tournament has been lucky to witness something special in every department.