Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur got its old look back after the Bangladesh Cricket Board allowed full admission of spectators in the stands.
The galleries at the home of cricket were almost full and buzzing with spectators after a break of 721 days as hosts Bangladesh faced visitors Afghanistan in the first match of the two-T20I series Thursday.
The BCB last allowed full general entrance to the supporters in Zimbabwe’s tour of Bangladesh in March 2020.
The game returned to the field through domestic competition by the end of 2020.
However, it was very recently that a limited number of spectators were allowed into the stadium to watch the game.
Despite the game being held on a weekday, the cricket fanatics in the capital city did not miss the opportunity to come and support their beloved Bangladesh national team.
On the day, the elated supporters were seen queuing up at different gates of the SBNCS hours before the gates were opened for entry.
There were vendors all around selling flags and jerseys and artists busy painting the face of the supporters in Bangladesh colors.
Mahmud, a hawker selling counterfeit Bangladesh jerseys at Tk100 each had come to the stadium with 100 pieces of his product in a box.
“Trust me, the jerseys were sold out in just half an hour. I am a very poor vendor, such days at the stadium helps us to earn bread for the family. I am glad that Mirpur is back to its old colors,” said Mahmud.
A group of friends – around a dozen – had first stood in a long queue Wednesday to buy tickets and then again on the matchday and they did not have any complaints.
“We had come for the Pakistan matches too [when BCB had allowed limited entry]. But we were not able to enjoy then – the galleries were empty, there was no noise. But we did not want to miss the game and the experience [Thursday],” said Sadid, one of the group members.
Bangladesh will take on Afghanistan in the second and final T20 Saturday.
Bangladesh will play their next home series against Sri Lanka –a two-match Test series which is part of the World Test Championship.