Grim faces of Bangladesh cricket fans at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday as the national cricket team goes through its worst-ever batting collapse.Photo: Anisur RahmanWest Indies confine Bangladesh to a nine-wicket defeat that would be grudgingly remembered for long by the many thousands present at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur and millions across the country, a dreadful batting display that should serve as a benchmark of overconfidence.
The large scoreboard on the eastern side of the ground said it all -- Bangladesh bowled out for 58 runs in 18.5 overs and barely an hour later, West Indies had completed the rout in 12.2 overs, even before the sun set.
It was nothing short of a proud comeback by Darren Sammy's men after West Indies had suffered a whitewash at the hands of the Tigers in 2009 but it was a complete reversal yesterday when a three-man bowling attack strangulated the home side into complete submission. It was Bangladesh's lowest-ever ODI total and the fourth lowest in World Cup history.
The middle-order batting which had only performed occasionally and seldom delivered surrendered completely and the unwillingness to fight should be considered a major worry.
After Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes failed to give their customary solid start, the slide began and the moment captain Shakib Al Hasan's uncertain 'two-shot' prod was beaten by the tall left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn, the Tigers had their fate sealed in maroon.
The way Sammy and Roach celebrated Tamim's dismissal for a duck was proof enough of their ploy to remove the best batsman of the team. Imrul Kayes, on five, followed suit and nicked a simple straight one from the medium-pacer Sammy. Junaed Siddiqui batted firmly, stroking four sweetly-timed boundaries in his 27-ball 25, which ended up being Bangladesh's highest score.
Junaed's knock showed the merit of batting first on a wicket that offered low bounce and were tailor-made for the Tigers. In between the Rajshahi left-hander's charge, Mushfiqur Rahim flicked one straight to short mid-wicket, placed precisely to ensnare the shot-a-minute Tigers' batsmen. Rahim was one of three ducks in the innings and his dismissal was soon followed by Junaed's, an attempted flick at a Roach yorker that had LBW written all over it.
Shakib's wicket made it five for 41 and when Mohammad Ashraful walked into the burning deck, the Tigers should have saved face with some gritty batting. Instead, Ashraful, Naeem Islam, Rokibul Hasan and the tail-enders were dismissed quickly, giving Benn a four-wicket haul and three each to Roach and Sammy.
Chris Gayle, ironically, gave the sell-out holiday crowd something to cheer about with six boundaries in his 36-ball unbeaten 37, the West Indies losing only Devon Smith in their short chase.
The Tigers go off to Chittagong and much soul-searching is expected in the port city where they next take on England on March 11.
SCOREBOARD
Scoreboard of the World Cup Group B match between Bangladesh and the West Indies at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday:
BANGLADESH
Tamim c Sammy b Roach 0
Imrul c Thomas b Sammy 5
Junaed lbw b Roach 25
Mushfiqur c Sarwan b Sammy 0
Shakib b Benn 8
Rokibul c Pollard b Sammy 4
Ashraful c Thomas b Roach 11
Nayeem c Thomas b Benn 1
Shafiul c Pollard b Benn 0
Razzak not out 2
Rubel b Benn 0
Extras: (nb-1, w-1) 2
Total: (All out in 18.5 overs) 58
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-16, 3-25, 4-36, 5-41, 6-51, 7-56, 8-56, 9-58
Bowler O M R W
Roach 6 0 19 3
Benn 5.5 2 18 4
Sammy 7 0 21 3
WEST INDIES
Smith b Nayeem 6
Gayle not out 37
Bravo not out 9
Extras: (b-2, w-5) 7
Total: (For one wkt in 12.2 overs) 59
Did not bat: Sammy, Sarwan, Chanderpaul, Pollard, Thomas, Benn, Miller, Roach
Fall of wicket: 1-29
Bowler O M R W
Shafiul 2 0 11 0
Nayeem 6 1 14 1
Rubel 1 0 12 0
Razzak 1 0 8 0
Ashraful 2 0 11 0
Shakib 0.2 0 1 0
Result: West Indies won by nine wickets.
Man-of-the-match: Kemar Roach.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 12:25 AM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
They are worthy of the name Tigers; Tigers never go down without a strong fight. 57 is the lowest total scored by an test cricket nation or ICC member nation in the cricket world cup. Bangladesh should have never hosted the world cup. Its a poor nation with limited resources; it cannot feed its own people sufficiently, it cannot curb the ongoing power crisis, and they are staging world cup where energy is being wasted for the flood lights; they could have instead provided the energy to farmers to boost agricultural production and combat the rising food prices.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 12:56 AM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
Minnows tested a humiliating defeat at the hands of West Indies. It's a pity that they don't use their brain and thinking. Consistency is lacking. Overconfidence was their downfall. One may say, they beat India, England, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand but they lost in a big way. What have they learnt from those games? Sheikh Hasina's reward in kind and cash money on a previous win had obviously made their head big. In a team building, Education, Focus, Discipline and positive Attitude are the keys for any success but I am sorry to say that is lacking in the team and also in the leadership of the country of Bangladesh.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 12:52 AM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
After such a performance i wonder why Sakib was smiling at the presentation....where is his dignity....At the toss He wanted to pay back to the supporters for their support...is this how he & his team repay them, Smile after such a loss??
Saturday, March 5, 2011 01:47 AM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
It's time for Bangladesh to quit playing international cricket so that, we will not have to embrace this kind of humiliation in front of the whole world.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 03:20 AM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
The photograph shows it all. totally Disgrace and humiliated.West Indies taught Bangladesh a bitter lesson in front of home crowd.Bangladeshi boys played like raw novice.This defeat is demoralising and totally unacceptable..There is win or loss in every competition.But Bangladesh meekly surrendered without any fight . In all fairness this performance is the worst ever by any Bangladeshi team in any international tournament.We have no realistic chance to move further in the tournament.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 04:41 AM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
Never expected from Tigers. Just added anther disgrace for the nation after Dr, Yunus phenomena. Probably we can not blame them. They are so much blessed with state funded plots,flats,cars and too much media exposure including TV commercials. Good Luck tigers.
RK
New York.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 04:11 AM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
this is not acceptable ;must be a sabotage.must remove Ashraful from the side .enough of him;he's selected as batsman but not getting runs at all specially when it is needed.against India we got 289 as there was no ashraful;against Ireland we got only 205 because ashraful was there where he got only 1/0.and today the same from him.sakib doesn't like him because his poor form,arrogance and he cause disharmony and disunity.he was but not a good player now,just a big name,we don't need big name but big score.ashraful can't offer that so he shouldn't be in the best 11.Sakib should choose the side not the board.Enough of this experimentation with ashraful but my recommendation is Mahmudullah or Nafis.It's upto Sakib now.But not ASHRAFUL ANYMORE.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 11:03 AM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
Give the players more land, cars and more money. Whenever they won a series they were given large amounts of gifts and etc, this has led to them being overrated. Now after yesterdays humiliating defeat I think all of those gifts should be taken back.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 07:36 AM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
I surmise this is the precious moment for the Bangladeshi fans to comprehensively understand the concealed and enigmatic capabilities of the fragile Bangladesh Cricket TEAM! Their worthless indomitable spirit is eventually annihilated and its time for them to reach to their sanctuary.
(I am just one of those thousands of infuriated and despondent Bangladeshi fan).
Saturday, March 5, 2011 12:24 PM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
How come the Batting order of the team was changed? How does Mushfiq bat at #4 and Raqib comes even after Shakib? We have heard of lot of problems of players with the Coach. The activities of Mushfiq, Shakib, Coach and few other players for the last one week should be probed. There is something that is happening behind the scene. The Selection committee should be relieved of its responsibilities. Politicians should not be heading any sports body. Let sports develop naturally without any policy.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 12:24 PM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
Nice Picture. Thanks to the photographer who captured this two tigers in stadium.
Saturday, March 5, 2011 01:04 PM GMT+06:00 (142 weeks ago)
Really...I am Vere Sad...