Former Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar is very happy with the current lot of the Bangladesh cricket team. In a recent column for icc-cricket.com, he wrote at length about the history of the Champions Trophy and what it means for Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi team had failed to qualify for the previous two editions of the tournament. This year, they managed to pip West Indies in the rankings to enter the tournament, reports CricTracker.
Habibul Bashar noted that it is a great feeling to be back in the mega event. He wrote, "It feels great to see Bangladesh back in the ICC Champions Trophy. We have a long history with the tournament, even though we don't have great results to show for, but I am delighted that after having missed the 2009 and 2013 editions, we are back in the second most prestigious 50-over tournament after the World Cup".
"We take great pride in the fact that we hosted the first edition of the tournament. Even though we were not a part of the tournament, it was the first exposure for the people of Bangladesh to high-quality international cricket, and I really can't quantify the impact it had on Bangladesh cricket. Our first foray into the event was in the second edition, in Nairobi in 2000," he added further.
He recalled that the team had lost the game against England by an embarrassing 8 wickets margin. However, the fact that they managed to rub shoulders with some of the international greats was a chance of a lifetime. With utmost honesty, Habibul remarked that the tournament was Bangladesh's first taste of real cricket. The kind of influence their participation in the tournament had, was immense.
"Admittedly, we went down to England by eight wickets, but it was the first time we were sharing a hotel with the top players in the world, able to talk to them and pick their brains, and also watch them go about their business, both when it came to preparation and to actual execution of skills. It was an eye-opener for us as a team and as individuals, and I can state with all honesty that those few days were to have a massive influence on how our cricket developed," he wrote. [Read More]

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Source: The Financial Express