No more cricket !

By Ahmad Kamal, Abu Dhabi
18 January 2004, 18:00 PM
I write with a heavy heart but I firmly believe I am reflecting the feelings of this unfortunate nation. Yes, we all must have heard the heart-rending news of the Bangladesh A team being shot out by a club team of Pakistan for guess how many runs30 to be exact , thereby losing a four-day match within two days and that too by an innings. Guess what was the opponents' scorea paltry 189. Even the winners didn't dream of such an outcome. They were probably thinking of some how saving the match. But they should have known who their opponents were. Anything is possible if the opposing team is BD.

Isn't it time, dear countrymen, to say goodbye to such incessant insults from all strata of our cricket? Isn't it time that a country where the majority doesn't get two meals a day even, dies of cold in hundreds because we cannot, nay, we don't give them warm clothing, the daily necessities have gone beyond the reach of all except the fortunate few, we stopped squandering the poor men's resources in such shame bringing pursuits? How can such a poor country bring in a multitude of coaches (the number being almost the same as the players themselves ) to multiply our shame? Time has come to put a stop to all this.

Let cricket along with all its paraphernalia be banished from Bangladesh for at least 10 years. We have much greater priorities to attend to. Will someone heed to this call ?