Life, The Universe and Pune

Monday, February 24, 2003

In today's game at the World Cup, Sri Lanka were comprehensively beaten by Kenya. In the past too Kenya have put up some very good performances and ended up beating West Indies in the 1996 World Cup and have to their credit a win or two against India. All Bangladesh have to their credit is a win against Pakistan. Besides saying that Kenya is the ' best of the rest' ....what I also want to point out is that instead of Bangladesh, I think it was Kenya that rightly deserved Test status........

I dont think Bangladesh are doing justice to their status as a Test playing nation. I read in the recent 'World Cup Special' issue of India Today that the similarity between a test match and a limited overs game between Australia and Bangladesh is that both get over in one day.......this says a lot about the quality of Bangladeshi cricket. In my view the decision to grant Bangladesh test status was purely a financial one. Considering the fact that Bangladesh is quite a cricket crazy nation, and wanting to capitalize on this, the then President of the ICC, Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya went ahead and bestowed upon the 'Bangla Tigers' the higest honour, by making them a Full member of the ICC i.e. a country qualified to play test matches as recognized by the ICC.

Malcolm Gray, the present ICC President, believes that Bangladesh were given Test status prematurely. He has a point. The ' Bangla Tigers' seem to be behaving more like cornered quarry!!!!!

.......................koi shak??????