Flavour of history not remiss

Scenes at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday would have been very different in a pre-pandemic world.

Bangladesh registered their maiden T20I victory against Australia with a convincing 23-run win, but there were no roars from euphoric fans in the gallery to celebrate the triumphant Tigers after such a momentous occasion.

Struck by harsh reality due to the pandemic, fans of a cricket-crazy nation had to appease themselves by celebrating in front of their televisions at home instead of by thronging to the streets of the city as they usually do.

There have been many firsts for the Tigers, like their first-ever win against Australia in ODIs in 2005 in Cardiff, a maiden Test win against the same opposition in Mirpur in 2017 and a first Test victory against England in Mirpur in 2016. Every time, whether those wins came at home or away, the cricket-crazy fans had celebrated overwhelmingly on the streets.

Just how stark the difference was could be ascertained from the fact that even Shoaib Ali Bukhari, popularly known as Tiger Shoaib, had to get to the top of a building adjacent to the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur to enjoy the opener of the first bilateral T20I series between Bangladesh and Australia yesterday.

The enthusiastic fan, who paints his body like a Tiger and has been attending most of Bangladesh's matches from the gallery over the years, had to stay content with waving the Bangladesh flag from afar as strict health protocols restrict spectators from entering the stadium premises.

 Although Shoaib, like every fan of Bangladesh cricket, was not allowed to witness the historic victory from the gallery, his presence and support, gave the nation a chance to re-live the feelings that they had gotten during other historic moments of Bangladesh cricket.