The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh cricket is deteriorating in its both versions and the national team needs to improve fast or those who are opposed to its test status will be out there again to get Bangladesh out of the elite class, according to many cricket fans.

"Can you imagine the team that scored 400 runs in the test debut still regularly gets all out below 200. Bangladesh will have to improve or those who are opposed to its test status will be out there to get Bangladesh out of the elite class," says Ahsanul Kabir.

"Enough is enough. Those people were right when they said Bangladesh should not be given test status. We're simply making a mockery of international cricket," says Saidur Rahman, a 43-year-old man from Malibagh.

Swapan, 34, another ardent cricket fan, says, "We don't expect our young team to win every match against teams like Australia and South Africa. What we want is a decent fight. I think the players are not bothered about the feeling of the country's people."

Ariful, a banker, says, "Bangladesh must start winning matches, as they are in the international arena for quite some time. The performance of many teams, including some our neighbours, were much better after the equal number of matches played by Bangladesh."

"Don't humiliate us anymore before the world. Either get on with it or get out of it," a frustrated Ariful urges Bangladesh cricketers.

Having whitewashed has become a regular feature for the Bangladeshi team.

With the seven-wicket thumping in the hands of South Africa on Friday in the third and final ODI, Bangladesh, otherwise called Tigers (!), suffered yet another humiliating whitewash.

Apart from under-strength Zimbabwe, Bangladesh gets easily whitewashed against all other test-playing nations. It really does not matter at all whether the Tigers (!) play home or abroad. The outcome is the same. A clean sweep for the opponents.

In the recently concluded test and ODI series, apart from an accidental 20-run lead in the first innings of the first test, Bangladesh were simply outclassed in all the matches - both in longer and shorter versions of the game.

Swapan says gradual improvement is considered normal for every team apart. But Bangladesh's performance is apparently deteriorating day by day at least in terms of batting. In the first ODI, the Tigers scored 178 runs followed by 173 in the second while they posted mere 143 in the third and concluding match.

He says South Africa is undoubtedly one of the best teams in the world. "It's very difficult indeed to beat a team like them. Playing on home ground, Bangladesh at least could put up a fight against them. But, they seemed to have surrendered before fighting a good fight."

According to another fan, Bangladeshi bowlers seem to be less responsible than the bowlers. "If batsmen can't get a good decent score on the board what the bowlers can do. Bangladeshi batting has been a real joke. They simply didn't learn how do adjust with the type of game."

Since the 2007 World Cup win over the Proteas, Bangladesh could bat whole 50 overs only twice in 14 matches. And, after these exceptional two matches against India, the Tigers could cross 200 mark only once in 9 matches.

Bangladesh cannot be called newcomers anymore in the international cricket. They are there for quite sometime now. In last 22 long years, Bangladesh have played 168 ODIs and lost 130 of them. There are 36 wins most of which are against teams like Zimbabwe, Kenya, Bermuda and Canada. The number of wins against test-playing countries is negligible.

In tests, the rate of success is even worse. In last eight years of test crickets, Bangladesh have played 53 tests and won only one test at home against under-strength Zimbabwe and lost 47 of them most which are innings defeat. They earned five draws by the virtue of inclement weather. Most of the lost tests have finished in about three days.