Growing up as supporters

Cricket is the source of all major occasions of celebration we've had in recent years. As spectators, we're known for backing our team to the hilt, but does that include losing all sense of civility in celebration? 

This write up is in context of the recent debacle involving Indian supporter Sudhir Kumar Gautham, who was reportedly harassed on the streets of Dhaka following Bangladesh's win in the 2nd ODI during the recently concluded series. There have been contradictory reports in both the Bangladeshi and Indian media.

I've had the opportunity to be present in the galleries for the last couple of series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, and one of the things you cannot help but notice is how aggressive the crowd is towards the opposition. Away teams can expect a hostile environment, but where do we draw the line? 

Unfortunate occurrences aren't new for the Mirpur faithful. We've had embarrassing losses in the past and that resulted in public backlash, like the stoning of the West Indies team bus after a huge loss in the 2011 World Cup. For those who had hoped this was a one-off incident, they would be disappointed as more of these things kept happening. There have been instances when our very own players reacted to how the crowd treated them. Very recently, in the series against India, we saw Indian fielders getting involved in squabbles with the crowd, and in cases such as these, the provocation usually comes from the stands. Considering our history, the reported incident with Sudhir Gautham shouldn't surprise anyone. Even if it didn't happen, something like this is always on the cards.

People are not allowed to be an away supporter in Mirpur. The people who wave opposition flags that they show on TV are mostly sitting in groups in one of the galleries closer to the dressing rooms, where security is tight. In the stands, however, I've seen people get threatened and abused for wearing an away jersey, to an extent that law enforcement officials had to intervene. All they can do is escort the away supporters out of the galleries for their own safety. 

The people who feel there isn't a place for away supporters in the stands could try and put themselves in different shoes. Would they feel it was fair if they went to the Eden Gardens in Kolkata for a Bangladesh vs India match, and were shunned for supporting their own country? Probably not. The Tigers have grown as a team in recent years and they're giving us more and more reasons to celebrate. It'd be a shame if we let our actions ruin these amazing moments. The team performs for the spectators, and it is up to them to accept that gift gracefully.