Just not cricket

Banning of locals from supporting international teams deserves some sort of rebuke or punitive action by ICC.

One is at a loss for words regarding Bangladesh’s decision to clamp down on locals flying the flags of foreign teams in support during the ongoing World Twenty20 championship. The step, which is nothing short of draconian and a murder of the most basic tenets of sporting spirit, deserves to be condemned by all cricketing nations in unison as well as the International Cricket Council (ICC). The attempt to ban all foreign flags is apparently an effort — a ridiculous one at that — to cover up the singling out of fans of the Pakistan cricket team, and was announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board after receiving instructions from the government in light of some Bangladeshi fans being seen in the stadium supporting Pakistan in the recently-concluded Asia Cup.

Whatever the sport, international support for foreign teams is nothing new and most countries in the world have fans of teams and players from other countries. While Bangladesh has indeed had its share of issues with Pakistan, politics has no place in sports — least of all in the middle of an international sporting event. Furthermore, to express political prejudice through such a petty edict is unbecoming of any independent state and does not reflect well on a country that was founded on the premise of struggle against the yoke of authoritarianism. The Bangladesh government must consider that being given the rights to host an international event is a privilege that carries responsibilities — and the banning of locals from supporting international teams is a blatant and high-level breach of that privilege, which deserves some sort of rebuke or punitive action by the ICC. This is not the first time that the Bangladesh government has resorted to such pettiness during a sporting event. When Bangladesh lost to Pakistan in the thrilling final of the 2012 Asia Cup, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid stormed out of the stadium without applauding the winning team or giving away the winner’s trophy. The same childish attitude seems to be on display here.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2014.

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