The not-so-cub Tigers of Bengal

Pakistan thought they could walk all over them while an Indian channel, in an attempt at satire, tried to remind fans that “bache ab bache nai rahe” just before India took them on. Meanwhile, South Africa was not expecting a series loss to the long-known minnows of the cricket world either.

Winning three-nil and twice 2-1 was what Bangladesh did to revive their One-Day International (ODI) cricket scene in a way history was not ready to witness. According to pundits, Bangladesh donned the invincible cloak of home-ground advantage, but beating two Asian giants and one of the semi-finalists of the 2015 World Cup demands some applause.

Some said it was the exceptional captaincy of Mashrafe Murtaza, others said Bangladesh’s batting clicked and that too consistently, but what everyone agreed on was that they had finally found the always-missing fire in their bowling attack. The Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain duo, which can light crackers at more or less 140mph, helped Bangladesh reinvigorate their pace attack for good. Also, the young left-arm fast-bowling prodigy, Mustafizur Rahman, who troubled Pakistan on his debut in the only Twenty20 we played on the trip to Bangladesh, and then ran through the Indian line-up with his deceptive off-cutters, has been an effective addition to Bangladesh’s fast-bowling armoury.

Bangladesh are now planning to channel their prolific ODI form into the longest format and with the debut of Mustafizur in the first Test against South Africa, where he bagged four wickets in the first-innings.

Cricket, in the past, lacked unpredictability, but with smaller teams causing greater number of upsets in the modern age, it has become apparent that the future of the game requires more minnows to rise and take the lead — shoulder to shoulder with the traditional cricketing powers.

Bangladesh’s recent upsurge will be tested when they play as visitors against the same opponents, but the confidence they have gained with consecutive series wins at home will, without doubt, help them rain on some of the leading cricketing nations’ parade — with or without home advantage.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2015.