A glimmer of hope
A relatively small ground with an uneven pitch in the middle and unkempt grass all around -- it sounds like the description of a ground where amateur school level tournaments are usually held. But unfortunately the above description is of the Gulshan Youth Club Sports Ground, where the Dhaka First Division Women's Cricket League, organised by BCB, is currently being held.
However, cheers like "Come on. You are doing so well. Just keep on hitting" could be distinctively heard from the dugout of the City Club Women cricket team even in this poor cricketing environment.
The batter, pumped up by all the cheers and support, came down the track and obliged as she struck a boundary the very next ball. The incredible buzz going around the ground and the loud cheers after every shot being played or every diving effort from a fielder to save a run in such a poorly facilitated ground could only mean that there is still a glimmer of hope for the Bangladesh women's cricket team in the future, provided these players are nurtured and aided with better facilities.
Surprisingly, the players participating in the tournament are happy with the current conditions and the facilities provided to them. The captain of Dhaka Assets, Rokeya Ahmed Roya, informed The Daily Star that she has been playing First Division cricket for the past three years and is willing to continue playing in future. Like Roya, the enthusiasm displayed by all the other players on a field that needs far more grooming to even be prepared for a school level tournament, shows that the girls of our country are more than happy only by getting an opportunity to play.
Players have come from different districts of Bangladesh to play in this tournament after having signed contracts with different clubs. Such a player is City Club's Sabekur Nahar Choyti, who hails from Rajshahi. Choyti, an admirer of Bangladesh's star batsman Mahmudullah Riyad, opined that a lot more quality players would emerge from different districts only if more tournaments were organised by BCB.
"I think more players will emerge if tournaments are organised more frequently in different districts," said Choyti.
The Bangladesh women cricket team's journey in the ICC Women's World T20 ended early as the Tigresses finished bottom of their group after being unable to register a single win in the tournament. While this is a very concerning issue for a cricket loving country like Bangladesh, the impressive cricketing attitude displayed by the players during a game between the Dhaka Assets and the City Club could be a relieving factor.
One of the main reasons behind the Tigresses' failure in the World T20 in the West Indies was surely a lack of big hitters in the side, owing to which they failed to stretch their score past 80 even once in the tournament. A total of 79 for five against South Africa in their last match was the highest score by the Tigresses in the competition.
An indication of why no proper big hitters have emerged in the side that were crowned champions of Asia in June this year could be found in this shoddily prepared ground in Gulshan. A field no more than 40 meters on both sides could never help create a player that can play big shots regularly on foreign turf.
Provided better facilities and more frequent tournaments in a proper cricketing environment, the girls can surely bring some good results in the future; otherwise the horrors of the last World T20 may keep repeating.
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