The very positive performance of Bangladesh in the World Cup Cricket 2015 has ushered in major change in the Bangladesh Cricket.

Emergence of some bold, courageous new quality players and consistent performance of established performers led Bangladesh to quarter final of the tournament. The brilliant performance of Bangladesh against all teams created great enthusiasm among Bangladeshis living around the world.

It also earned great appreciation from cricket experts and analysts. The momentum so created led Bangladesh blowing out Pakistan which visited Bangladesh immediately after the world cup. Pakistan was comprehensively white washed in ODI and T20 international.

The ICC ranking elevated from ninth to seventh. The graduation of Bangladesh cricket from one level to other now warrants reviewing the entire cricket structure for sustaining the success and consolidating. Business as usual cannot ensure holding to this position as Bangladesh now has to rub shoulders on equal terms with England, Australia, South Africa, India, and Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh Cricket Supporters Association (BCSA) an army of Bangladesh Cricket admirers which stands beside and behind Bangladesh team through thick and thin recently organized a four day cricket festival. In that event very rare and rich collection of cricket memorabilia of Bangladesh cricket was exhibited.

The leading cricket personalities attended the program and discussed about the initiation and gradual development of Cricket of Bangladesh. Such an initiative of soul searching of Bangladesh cricket can only encourage the true heroes of Bangladesh cricket, the great contributors – players, coaches, organizers, sports writers, commentators. Junaid Paikar, Javed Shaon, Nazmul Kiron and many of BCSA comrades who worked to make this special event has really opened the eyes of genuine cricket enthusiasts. We are sure it has exposed the innovative present generation to the root of Bangladesh cricket.

Cricket had to go through extensive trials and tribulations to reach the present level. Many of the present generation are possibly unaware about who Shaheed Jewel was?  Many possibly did not know that Roquibul appeared for an international match for Pakistan with Joy Bangla in his bat. How many knew that KZ Islam initiated Nirman School Cricket laid the foundation of grass root cricket?

How many know the contributions of Dr Damal, Reza Bhai, Rois Bhai, Saber Chowdhury, Ashraful Haque, Tanveer Mazhar Tanna, Tanveer Haidar, Daulat Zaman and Aminul Huq Moni?

Aminul Islam Bulbul scoring a brilliant Hundred and Naimur Rahman Durjoy taking five wickets in the very first test inscribed their names in world cricket history. Such events like Cricket festival that BCSA launched acts as a bridge between the past and the present.

It brings ICC top all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in all format, aggressive opening batsman Tamim Iqbal, consistent performer with the bat Mushfiqur Rahim, emerging great batsman Mominul Haq , great inspiring captain Mashrafee on the same platform of early day heroes like Roquibul, Heera , Yusuf Rahman , Jahangir Shah Badsha, Akram Khan , Mohammad Ashraful,  Habibul Bashar ,Minhazul Abedin and Mohammad Rafique.

Great contributions of Alltaf, Chand Khan, Jalal Chowdhury and Osman are also remembered. We hope BCSA will continue carrying on organizing such events. How badly Bangladesh needs a cricket archive, a sports museum!

We know Nazmul Amin Kiron has a great collection of sports records, reports and photographs. He is my inspiration even in getting back to sports writing .Thanks to his initiative I got introduced to the brilliant group of cricket admirers of BCSA.

I could meet Tiger Shoyaeb a dedicated cricket personality who inspired Bangladesh Cricket team every time they play international cricket at home himself changing into a royal Bengal tiger. Kiron in many persons opinion is a walking sports encyclopedia a dynamic sports archive. He can be a useful source of sports museum a launching pad for cricket archive.
Following the BCSA event we witnessed another event of launching a cricket book “Cricketer Nirman “authored by KZ Islam. KZ was president BCB at a very critical juncture of Bangladesh cricket. He rightly assessed that for sustainable development of cricket in Bangladesh cricket must be sponsored at school level. But after him school cricket died out and Bangladesh lost a unending resource of quality young cricketers. It was great witnessing doyen of sports journalism Quamruzzaman Bhai, ASM Farookh, Yusuf Rahman, Ashraful Huq and Shafiqul Huq Heera beside KZ Islam and Shamim Chowdhury in the launching of the book.

All these are happening as Mashrafee, Mushfiqur led present generation of cricketers have started rocking and rolling the world cricket with dynamic performance. Now to keep the acts together and consolidate our position in the highest league of World Cricket Bangladesh needs to revamp the domestic cricket format. We need cricket to grow from grass root from school level, we need age level cricket in structured format, we need proper playing surfaces , competitive cricket at all level, transparent selection policy and accountable cricket organization. Present amateurish approach and shallow vision business as usual attitude will soon create stagnancy .

England, Australia, South Africa, India and Sri Lanka reached this level for a very organized and accountable cricket administration. Bangladesh to compete with them effectively need to learn lessons. We need 100 Mashrafee, Shakib, Tamim and Mushfique.

We need to catch them raw and give them the environment to blossom from the bud .We are extremely lucky that we have a cricket loving Prime Minister who actively supports the game .We hope she is made aware of what we need to move forward from where we stand in world cricket now.

BDST: 1505 HRS, MAY 30, 2015
AKA