Bangla tracking future cricketers

A shy Mohammad Ashraful points to a village surrounded by green trees where his family lives in a mud hut. His father works as a farmer to meet his family's daily demands so it might have been natural for him to bring his son to the fields for assistance. If not that then he could have concentrated on his son's education to change his family's fortunes.

Instead, Ashraful's father sent him to the nearby Bangla Track Cricket Academy (BTCA), situated near the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway in Kapashia of Katakhali Pourashava.

"My father watches cricket on TV and he has the belief that cricket can change our fortunes if I take it seriously," said a smiling Ashraful, who dreams of becoming a batsman.

Ashraful's father did not name him after former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful but Naimur Rahman Durjoy's father, an ardent follower of the game, did.

Durjoy, a leg-spinner from Bogra who got the opportunity after being selected in a talent hunt programme, is another student at the academy and, like Ashraful's, his family also believes that cricket can change their fortunes.

Durjoy's father died in road accident but his mother did not let go of her husband's hopes. She dared to sell what little land she had and arranged Tk 10,000 to send him to the BTCA -- which has stood on 11 acres of land since 2008.

Among the 600-plus students at the academy, many have stories similar to Ashraful or Durjoy's. They came from different parts of the country with the dream of freeing their families from the cycle of poverty by making the grade as professional cricketers.

"Yes, some come from well-off families but most come from humble backgrounds. We have a fixed fee of Tk 1,000 per month but don't receive it from students who have come from poor families," informed Abdul Muqtadir, the managing director of the academy.

The names of Taijul Islam, Nayeem Islam Jr and Nihad Uz Zaman are pronounced here proudly along with the names of some who are representing different clubs in Dhaka leagues -- all as products of this academy.

The academy's head coach, Khaled Mahmud, also mentions Towhid Hridoy, currently a batsman in the U-19 team, as the former national skipper harbours high hopes for him, just as he does for a few young leg-spinners at the academy.

However, the reality is that only a few from this very large number of students can find success in the professional circuit. So what will happen to those that fail to get the required education to find a better life if they ultimately fail to make the cut as professionals? The officials, including Mahmud, are also well-versed with the probability of the trap.

"We purely follow cricket training here but we encourage everybody to maintain their academics so that they will not fall into any traps later in life. Most of our students come from nearby localities. But those who come from different districts and are living in rented houses are admitted to the local educational institutions," said the BCB director.

Mahmud gets handsome remuneration for training the boys three days a week, but he said that he has deeper motivations for coming here from Dhaka.

"Look, the entire atmosphere is brilliant for cricket training. I can take a long breath here. If you talk about proper training then no place can be as good as this one. And the boys in this area are altogether different in terms of determination," said Mahmud.

A big field, a beautiful pond, a two-storey office building with modern facilities and a accommodation for about 40 students has given this academy a good shape.

"Please write that there is a gym but without modern equipments and I am pushing for them for a long time," Mahmud quipped.

This academy might not advertise much, but the response that they have received so far is immense. Still Muqtadit did not hesitate to say: "We could only fulfil thirty per cent of the requirements but we have big plans and are advancing accordingly."

Mohammad Aminul Haque, chairman of Bangla Track Limited, took the initiative to establish the academy to provide an opportunity to those who are not from privileged backgrounds and also to keep boys away from drugs after it became a headache in this suburb of Rajshahi.

The authority has proven their willingness beyond any doubt as they have been running this academy with huge subsidies as only forty per cent of the expenditure can be managed through fees.

Muqtadir jokingly said that a true businessman never accepts losses for an unlimited time. And although he said it jokingly, Bangla Track has been searching for ways to ensure that it not only works due to anyone's willingness, but rather that it stands on strong footing.

However they have the faith that the BTCA is here to stay.