Editorial
Congratulations, Tigers
Wining should inspire better team performance
Well done Tigers! There is nothing like ending a lean patch in sports than on a high note. The win against the Kiwis in the recent one-day international was perhaps Bangladesh's most emphatic win in any one-day game. What makes this victory even more satisfying is the fact that this is the Tigers' first victory against the Black Caps in 11 encounters.
It is nice to see that the recent exodus of some of their colleagues to, what they consider as greener pastures, have had no impact on the players' performance, and the debutants have lived up to expectations of the selectors.
Last Thursday's performance was different in many ways from the past. One was happy to note the Bangladesh players gel as a team and do well in all departments of the game. At no point in the match did they allow the Kiwis to dominate, although one felt that perhaps for a moment the visitors had gotten away after crossing the 200 mark, having lost the first six wickets under one hundred runs.
The good bowling was backed up by efficient fielding, and unlike in some previous cases where, even after getting the opposition out fairly cheaply, they had wilted under pressure eventually losing the match, this time the top order batsmen went about their job more professionally and indeed more proficiently. It is good to see them apply themselves to build up partnerships, displaying the maturity that one expects of players in this level.
We are also heartened to see that the batsmen have purged their impulsive habit of flaying at anytime outside the off stump, trying to send every single delivery out of the park. Most of the pathetic losses in the past have been mostly due to their recklessness.
It is a good beginning to the series, but we must caution against any sense of euphoria, for every so often we have seen promising starts petering away in hopeless performance later on, putting cricket and the many ardent supporters, and indeed the nation, to shame.
Hopefully, we have seen the end of the losing streak that had forced the cricket lovers in Bangladesh all but forget the taste of victory in international cricket. We hope that it is not a flash in the pan. The team must display more consistency and make winning a regular feature, rather than an exception.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments