Cricket & Fate of Diplomacy of Bangladesh

    -Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal

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International politics and cricket seem to be interlinked by hidden joint agendas. However, in cricket free lunches are made available to the “shots” according to their tastes,  such free luches are denied in international relations and when it is offered it is done only to catch a big fish in return. Bangladesh hosted the tri-series in cricket, the most favorite sport of Indian capitalists, who pump j plenty of black money and take back white ones, more in number. Bangladesh also arranged for trip by their premier on 11 Jan to India during the same period- that is Indian style of doing business.

It seems Bangladesh that hosted the tri-series in Dhaka along with Sri Lanka and India has had good practice to gauge the levels of both neighbors in cricket. Right from the day one BD was never a threat to SL and India and they enjoyed their matches.  And it is not surprising at all. Although Bangladesh knew all its weaknesses even before the series stated and well prepared for the eventual defeat as one of the weakest international cricket teams, both India and Sri Lanka really took BD very seriously to restrict their runs and hence Bangladesh could not win any match in this tri-series so far.

Last week in fact Bangladeshi boys did trouble the Indians to make them feverish and at one point BD were going to win it, but finally they could not stop the Indian batsmen from kidnapping the win form BD. On 11 Jan Bangladesh fielding first ended with a total of 247/6 in their 50 overs. They were given a couple of early blows but they recovered a bit, India struck back reducing them to 67/4 but they still came back to 95/5. The skipper departed just at the beginning of the Batting Power play but the later carried on. Two sets of partnerships heralded a strong come back by BD, although the net result does not look enough. Shakib (85) and Mahmudullah (64*) got together, played sensibly and stitched a brilliant 106-run stand for the 6th wicket, while Mahmudullah added another 46 runs along with N.Islam (22*) to boost their total of 247. The second half made the difference.

After a near collapse in the middle when it appeared the hosts would have to be contented with just 100 plus runs, Bangladesh came back to the game in the last twenty overs. The Indian opponents on the field made things worse for the hosts as they had half their side back in the hut by the 24th over. Indian bowlers continued the good run from their previous match against Sri Lanka by managing early inroads into the Bangladesh side. Shakib's knock was the standout performance of this innings as he managed to take them to a respectable total. Mahmudullah gave him good company at the other end as the duo managed to rebuild the innings. Mahmudullah launched into the bowling attack in the batting powerplay. BD cored 95 runs off the last ten overs. One fails to understand the cause for not electing for the bating power play (BPP) by Bangladesh last two times, BPP came as a default.  If they had opted for BPP a bit early, perhaps they would have reached very close to 300. It does not now matter if BD wins this today as most probably Sri Lanka , the defending Asian Champions, would clinch the trophy comfortably. Unlike in India where preferred to lose to Indian, in BD the SL is keen to win.

Bangladesh was extremely happy with the way they've recovered to 247 after those two partnerships towards the end. But this total may not be enough to seriously challenge India- unless they sensibly bowl the Indians and cripple the team right at the beginning.  Although good efforts by Bangladeshi boys to be washed away in a shabby manner, but Bangladeshi bowlers and fielders must have controlled the Indian run flows and restricted their big shots for boundaries to win at least the last match!

BD Cricketer N. Islam was interested more in wickets to add to his “record” than on the team victory against India where BD premier Sheikh Hasina was being hosted by Indian leaders with guarded hidden agendas. So, Bangladeshi boys offered an easy win to Indians, though this time they refused to give their skipper at least a 50 plus.   India is leaving no stone unturned to make 'a great leader of Bangladesh' Sheikh Hasina's visit to India 'path-breaking' one and has underlined that it's 'a historic opportunity to build a new and forward-looking relationship'. Sheikh Hasina will be conferred one of Indian “prestigious” prizes for services to India, Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for supporting India and not looking towards Pakistan for help. India possesses several such awards to buy foreign dignitaries and UN chief Ban-ki moon was one of the victims to Indian hidden schemes. Hasina can, however, keep smiling for some more time- after she has been "democratically" chosen by the people with the support of the hidden hands.. .

A smiling Hasina became lucky politician after her visit to Mecca arranged by the then military regime to wash all corruption charges and return to BD premier’s seat comfortably. Below the smiles and the congenial photo ops, the relations between Dhaka and Delhi remain as estranged as ever. Hasina can with same smile sell out Bangladeshi interests to India upon enjoying a tasty cuisine in New Delhi. Given Indian stubbornness and arrogance as the regional “super power”, slated to take over , any time soon, USA, Japan and others including an emerging strategic partner China on common “Muslim” freedom issues, Bangladesh and India cannot but fail resolve the crux of their problems–water, transit facilities, boundary and oil. If anyone could bring Dhaka closer to Delhi , it was Hasina Mujib.

The leader of the opposition Mrs Khaleda Zia, two-term prime minister (1991-96 and 2001-06), accused neighbor terror India of committing “aggression by controlling rivers” and wrote to Indian prime terrorist Manmohan Singh last year demanding that Delhi drop plans to construct the dam and blessed environmentalists and NGOs agitating on this issue. But India would care a damn to opposition leader when the premier herself is its back pocket. On instructions form Washington that now plans the Indian foreign policy free of cost as part of indo-US nuclearism rules, Indian has coerced Bangladesh to fight Islamic norms in the former East Pakistan and cripple any move towards Islamization of lands of former Indian Bengalis India has now imposed key security pacts to expand anti-Islamic war known in USA as counter-terror cooperation against Islam. USA has done it quite successfully in Pakistan by employing the puppet regime in Islamabad to remove Swat Islamization process and kill the leaders there after their success in Afghanistan and Iraq where Muslims are gainfully hired to kill Muslims. Hasina happily agrees to anything from anybody only to stay on in power.

Bangladesh has lost in cricket, as expected, and they have lost in diplomacy too at the same time, also as speculated. Indian now expects BD also to kill Muslims like the Pakistani, Afghanis and Iraqi puppet regimes do. This is the nature of admixture of politics and cricket in former British colonies. While any lose in cricket is tolerable, it cannot be so in diplomacy and international ventures. India would not let its neighbors have sumptuous lunches at Hindu cost. Indian media reports clearly suggest that. Americans can impose more instructions on India and Bangladesh.    

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Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal

Specialist on State Terrorism

Independent Columnist in International Affairs, Research Scholar (JNU) & the only Indian to have gone through entire India, a fraud and terror nation in South Asia.