The odds were stacked against them, on and especially off the field, but they found a way to pull off a special win
Mohammad Isam25-Aug-20243:25
Shanto: ‘We dedicate this win to those who died in student protests’
“What happened , you tell me.”That was Najmul Hossain Shanto’s reply when asked about the odds Bangladesh had overcome to win the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Not just the on-field odds but those off the field too, with floods in Bangladesh adding to the woes of a country reeling from weeks of political turmoil.”Of course it was a wonderful win, but let’s not forget what’s happening back home,” Shanto said. “It is quite sad what is happening in the country. I have seen that everyone is trying to help those in the flooded areas. All of our players are trying their best to support them too.”I want to dedicate this win to those who gave their lives in the anti-discrimination students’ movement. A lot of prayers for those departed souls. Their families are having a tough time. I hope we can bring a bit of smile to their face.”Related
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Shanto quickly brought the focus back onto the game, identifying the turning points of the Test match.”It was the second evening when Zakir [Hasan] and Shadman [Islam] batted out those 12 overs,” he said. “That’s when I thought that we started to feel more confident. It had a positive effect on our mindset. Going into the third morning with all the wickets intact was crucial. The other turning point was the partnership between Mushfiq[ur Rahim] and [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz. The seventh-wicket stand going for 196 runs made a huge difference in this game.”Regardless of the result. We have ticked most of the boxes today.”
Jubilation in the Bangladesh dressing room after their historic victory in the 1st Test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi.#BCB #Cricket #BDCricket #Bangladesh #PAKvBAN #WTC2 pic.twitter.com/p4msPsAdZt
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) August 25, 2024
Bangladesh had to prepare for the Test in trying circumstances. They arrived to train in Lahore on August 13, eight days before the start of the series, since their foreign coaches couldn’t link up with them in Bangladesh due to security concerns. Anamul Haque, who is in Islamabad with the Bangladesh A side, lost his close friend and business partner during the protests. Nurul Hasan, a recent Bangladesh international who isn’t on this tour, was part of the protests in the Basundhara area in Dhaka. Coach Nazmul Abedeen Fahim was also part of several protests.Head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe revealed the emotional toll of these unprecedented events on Bangladesh’s players and staff. The political upheaval also triggered a major change in the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Nazmul Hassan, who had been BCB president for 12 years, resigned on the first day of the Test.The distractions didn’t stop. Hours after becoming the new BCB president, Faruque Ahmed, addressing his first press conference, reiterated a previously expressed view that Hathurusinghe should be removed. Hathurusinghe’s contract runs until January 2025, but you can imagine the effect on that comment, which came in the middle of the Rawalpindi Test.Then came more big news. Shakib Al Hasan was named among 147 persons charged in a murder case in a Dhaka police station. Shakib was an Awami League MP from his hometown Magura, and his close ties with the fallen regime made fans uncomfortable.A law firm filed a complaint with the BCB, asking it to remove Shakib from the Test side, since he had been implicated in a criminal case, and bring him back home for trial. On Saturday, the fourth day of the Test, the BCB told the media that it would decide on the matter after the Test.Bangladesh gather after Shakib Al Hasan dismissed a set Abdullah Shafique•Associated PressShakib finished with 3 for 44 in the second innings, including the big wicket of the in-form Saud Shakeel for a duck. Shanto suggested that while such a match-winning effort was along expected lines from Shakib, it was remarkable for him to have done it in these circumstances.”From what I can see, he is a very dedicated person,” Shanto said. “He will do anything to win the game for Bangladesh, putting everything in his personal life to one side. He helps the team, the junior players. To be in such a situation, he has done superbly to put up this performance. He is outstanding. We only expect this from Shakib , and we want something [even] better from him in the next game.”Apart from all this, consider Bangladesh’s performances leading up to this Test. They didn’t win any of their Super Eight matches at the T20 World Cup. Before that, they had lost 2-1 in a T20I series against USA. They also lost their previous Test series against Sri Lanka, losing both Tests by massive margins. Their last Test win was in November 2023, at home to New Zealand.”We don’t win much abroad,” Shanto said. “I think this is our first Test win on foreign soil since the New Zealand win [at Mount Maunganui in January 2022]. But we had planned to win abroad in this WTC cycle, apart from winning at home. I would hope this win will raise the confidence level of the players and our fans. I want us to improve more in the days to come.”That Mount Maunganui win had felt like a one-off, but the general feeling around Rawalpindi has been different. It feels like Bangladesh have finally turned a corner. They have needed to surmount an incredible amount of pressure, on and off the field, and they have done so in a calm, measured manner, giving themselves and their fans back home a win to remember.
