A trip down memory lane

The world has come to a standstill and it is only normal for many of us sitting at home to feel completely helpless in the present situation. But what each of us can do is observe, appreciate and acknowledge the significant moments of our past. I would like to take the readers on a trip down memory lane -- to the moments that stand out in my mind as the biggest turning point in our cricketing history.

Cricket has never been and never will be an individual's game. Priority must and should always be placed on the combination of players, a chemistry that is not entirely possible to explain. Sport, and cricket in particular, is unique in that way. It is part science -- in the facts and statistics -- while part of it is art due to the indescribable emotions we feel when someone plays a shot to win our hearts, or misses one to break it.

It was heartbreaking to see Masarafe Bin Mortaza resigning from captaincy but this also gave us the opportunity to reflect on his contributions. Mashrafe's ability to change the complexion of the Bangladesh national team by uniting the playing eleven was commendable.

When I interviewed Mashrafe a few weeks ago, after his decision to resign as captain of the ODI team, I was reminded of the dusk of the career of another Bangladesh captain -- Habibul Bashar. The 2007 World Cup was some of his last playing days but I know that he played a crucial role in bringing the team together with his years of experience.

March 17, 2007 was a memorable and unforgettable day at Port of Spain where Bangladesh created the biggest upset by defeating red-hot favourites India by five wickets in the World Cup and that too against a line-up full of legends of the game in Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virendar Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbajan Singh plus the future global star MS Dhoni. Looking back, the moment that stands out for me was the sight of Tamim Iqbal going down the wicket against Zaheer Khan to hit a six into the second tier of the stands.

I could hear my disbelief reflected on my fellow commentator's voice, as he too was shocked by Tamim's bravado and could merely utter, "Oh my, what has he done!" I can only imagine what that shot meant for the confidence of the dressing room.

As it happens, even though Bangladesh qualified for the next round, since it was a completely unexpected outcome, the production company tried and failed to extend my contract. Hence, I found myself on the same flight as the Indian team, their bags packed much earlier than they had hoped, going home. Upon seeing me, Dravid had asked: "Athar, what are you doing here? Your team has gone through."

As cheers and applause erupted, it felt as though Tamim, a young and fresh-faced flamboyant opener from Bangladesh, through his no-fear attitude added a burst of fuel to a flame in Bangladesh's cricket history that had been flickering, but had surely been ignited in 2005 when Bangladesh beat Australia for the very first time in an ODI.

When we beat Australia in 2005, history was made. I remember the tour as special because as a selector, along with Faruque [Ahmed] and [GM Nausher] Prince, I had taken a leap of faith in the inclusion of Mushfiqur Rahim. Some may say it was a premature decision, but when he started scoring so heavily in trying conditions while on tour in England, we saw a spark in him that we knew the Bangladesh team could not miss out on.

In terms of being taken seriously as a cricketing nation, 2015 will be at the forefront of people's minds when they think of Bangladesh. It was the glorious year in which we won three series at home, back-to-back, against India, Pakistan and South Africa.

It is important to learn from our past mistakes but also to draw inspiration and strength from the moments in which we have overcome challenges.

It is needless for me to say that we all have a role to play in making this earth a better place. As I pray for this virus to disappear quickly from the earth, I also hope that we will be ready and equipped to embrace a future that holds amazing experiences for all of us, akin to those of our 'Tigers' once again taking the field by storm.