Tigers find their 12th man in Muscat

The first game of the opening day of the ICC T20 World Cup between hosts Oman and Papua New Guinea was still in progress as Bangladeshi fans flooded into the Al Amerat Cricket Stadium to support the Tigers in their evening game against Scotland, scheduled to begin at 6:00pm.

The stadium, located 15 kilometres south-east of the city centre, was engulfed in red and green as 80 per cent of the seats were occupied by Bangladesh fans. The number could have climbed even more, with numerous Bangladesh supporters still waiting outside the premises with flags and placards as they created a festive mood across the venue.

And why wouldn't they? Nearly eight lakh Bangladeshi expats in Oman had been eagerly anticipating for the day when they could witness the Tigers play in front of their eyes for the first time.

Ahead of the start of the game, vehicles started to gather in the parking lot outside the stadium and groups were planning how to best cheer for the Tigers from the stands.

"We are very excited. This is a day we have been awaiting for a long time. To witness Bangladesh play here in Oman is a special occasion. We don't get to see the Bangladesh cricket team. I can assure you that our team will have the crowd as the 12th man during every game in Muscat," Rashed Alom, who works as a salesman in Muscat, told The Daily Star.

While the life of such expats has never been easy, the T20 World Cup has given them a way to celebrate their love for Bangladesh through cricket.

"We don't get much time off work usually. And if you talk about cricket, I never imagined seeing my favourite player Shakib Al Hasan play in front of my eyes, that too in Muscat," said a beaming Salauddin Ahmed, who works at a construction site.

"I came to see Shakib during the training session the day before the game but the security didn't allow me to enter the premises. Tickets were hard to get online but I still managed to get one at the last moment. Finally, I will be able to see Shakib in front of me and I hope Bangladesh will go on to win all the matches in Oman."