While his record suggests he wouldn’t make the current team, his attitude suggests he’d be the first one picked. For cricket isn’t always just about statistics, and sometimes it is about who can move and inspire, and who can give it their all.
The love is here. The love has always been here. What the love has lacked is doors, and the Legacy Match is one door, opened in front of an audience full of people who have the power to open more.
The distance between Bangladesh and the World Cup cannot be measured in kilometres. It is measured in institutions, accountability, planning, and political will. Perhaps one day, when the World Cup comes around again, one flag on that bamboo pole will sell just a little more than the rest.
Our cricketers will suffer the most over this difficult period which is why they must receive full sympathy and financial support. If this means that we forfeit participation in the 2026 World Cup (as has now transpired) so be it. There will be another opportunity in 2 years.