Frustration at dire show
The match was finished and the presentation ceremony was also completed but still there were a few spectators passing the time in the galleries at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium by watching the cricketers practicing in the ground.
“Everything is finished even before we settled in our seat. We have the whole day programme but…..,” was the way a teenager expressed his disappointment from inside the fence after the premature finish of the fourth one-day international between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe which took only three hours following the batting debacle of the tourists.
The port city fans always turn up to the ground to watch the international match whenever they get the opportunity and there was no exception yesterday but it was not a fitting affair in the middle which could satisfy them. It was more frustrating for the ones who came late and missed the home side bowlers celebrated success one after another: the only part to enjoy in the match.
Nothing could have been better than the delight in a win as a home fan. And definitely the port city crowd got this essential taste on Tuesday when their beloved Tigers won the fourth game quite convincingly by six wickets to take the five-match one-day series.
But the fact was that this 50-over-a-side game disappointed the nearly jam-packed crowds many ways. No way it could be an ideal one for the cricket loving people when the entertainment was completely missing in this limited-over version of cricket.
Who would be blamed for this? There had been however different opinions regarding this issue as some blasted the curator for producing an unfriendly wicket but some were also not ready to accept a team were dismissed for 44 runs no matter how much the pitch offered turn and movement for the local bowlers in the early morning.
Former national cricketer turned ICC umpire Enamul Haque found too much turn but his former teammate turned commentator Athar Ali Khan however opined “any team should score at least 200 runs at this pitch”.
The common spectators however were hardly bothered with the technical issues rather they blamed the Zimbabweans poor batting and they were also disappointed with the way Bangladesh won the match.
“Our bowlers bowled well but actually the Zimbabwean batsmen spoiled the party. We had an expectation of a good match but ultimately it's a mismatch. I had to convince my boss to give me a day-off for watching the match but it's a frustrating cricket match. Anyway our team won the game,” said Arman, an employee of a retailer shop.
It was the lowest score at this venue after Scotland were all out for 153 runs in December 2006.
The curator Shafiul Alam Belal got the special attention after the match and many raised fingers towards him. The matter was also discussed in a meeting with the match referee Ranjan Madugallen and it was learnt that the Sri Lankan only wanted to know why it's produced too much turn in the morning.
It might have produced unexpected turn and movement but the whispering was that the curator made this surface as per the home side desire as Shakib Al Hasan's side played the match with five specialist spinners.
Whatever the fact the main event missing in this match was entertainment.
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