The Bangladesh cricket team were accorded a grand reception at Manik Mia Avenue yesterday for their impressive performance in the 2015 ICC World Cup. The felicitation programme was arranged by the Bangladesh Cricket Board and representatives of different parts of the society.
The free-for-all ceremony started at 2:30pm with performances from renowned music bands of the country. The national cricketers arrived at around 5pm amid loud cheers from a holiday crowd of around 5,000 people.
The Tigers and members of the team management were then called one-by-one on the stage. Ace all-rounder Shakib al Hasan and batsman Sabbir Rahman missed the ceremony. Shakib is currently in India for the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League while Sabbir was attending to his ill father in the hospital.
It was widely anticipated that the loudest cheer might be reserved for skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza. However, it came as a surprise when the crowd cheered the loudest while the name of paceman Rubel Hossain was being announced.
Rubel has been the most talked about Bangladesh cricketer in recent times, both for his off-the-field controversies and his heroics in the World Cup. The right-arm paceman bagged eight wickets in the flagship event but it was his performance against England which endeared him to the cricket-mad public of the country.
After coming onto the stage, the Tigers were felicitated with bouquets and garlands by BCB president Nazmul Hasan, the board directors and representatives of different parts of society.
Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Miah, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, State Minister for Youth and Sports Sri Biren Sikder, businessman Salman F Rahman’s representative, Bangladesh Football President Kazi Salahuddin, Bangladesh Olympic Association secretary general Syed Shahed Reza, Rapid Action Battalion chief Benazir Ahmed, representative of the sports clubs in Dhaka Kazi Nabil Ahmed, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque and Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique were present at the reception, along with other dignitaries.
In his speech, Mashrafe said it is the love and relentless support of the countrymen that enabled and inspired them to overcome all hurdles prior to the World Cup and gift the nation a result to be proud of. Mashrafe added: “I am thankful to the BCB for taking the initiative to send the team around 21 days before the tournament. This helped us to prepare well, but losing the four practice matches pushed us on the backfoot. But, the team did not lose hope. Rather, our hunger for victory increased.
“The players played as a team. There might be a few disappointing individual performances but if you all look at us as a team, we were doing things right and with confidence. And, all of this was possible because we were backed well by the team management, the board, and our supporters.”
BCB boss Nazmul on the other hand praised the cricketers for their fighting quality and indomitable spirit.
“I have never seen our cricketers this confident. They did not care who they were playing against. It seemed to me all they had in mind was to compete and win. I hope they will continue doing this,” said Nazmul.
