Development and progress of football and cricket.

Cricket is undoubtedly the most popular game in Bangladesh. Football lost in the race with cricket here. Up to 80’s, football was mostly played all over the country and was the most popular. There are thousands of fields and many stadiums for games and sports in our country. Every government educational institute starting from primary to university has at least one field to play games and to institute annual sports. These were mostly busy with football as outdoor game. Besides this, in rural area it was played in any sudden vacant place after harvesting time. So clubs at the national level used to get new star players in every season. It was so popular that watchers had to purchase tickets well ahead to avoid the hassle of long cue for the then Dhaka Stadium. Traffic on the roads surrounding the stadium would become so dense that people used to walk to reach the stadium or their destinations. Stadium would become too populated to accommodate.

Rural football fans used to constitute tournaments with area basis clubs. People used to walk for even miles to watch these tournaments. This was the mainstream enjoyment for the people. Regardless the condition of the fields, tournaments were completed successfully with active presence of huge fans and watchers from beginning to end. District-level clubs would pick up the good players who could spread fame in the rural area. National teams waited to update their performance picking up good players from district level even at high stake.  This situation no longer exists in favor of football. Cricket has taken over the position. Now fields and stadiums are busy with cricket. Like football in those days, cricket teams in district and national levels enjoy the privilege for enrolling new star players every year now. National stadiums become overpopulated with fans and watchers when national cricket tournament is held. Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is the burning instance. Stadiums are over and overpopulated when any international match is held. Tickets becomes dream for the watchers. People sit before the televisions to watch the match from beginning to end. Inside residences family members from children to the aged are found before televisions to see matches.

Bangladesh National Cricket Team has occupied a significant place in the world in One day International and Twenty20 International. Performance is developing every day. It could defeat world-cup winners i.e.  Australia, West Indies, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Performance of the national team in Test-Cricket at the international level is also developing rapidly. Shakib Al Hasan is the number one all-rounder in the world. He could reserve his position for a long period. He is known in the cricket-world as he is known in Bangladesh. Other players in the national team are also world famous and are picked up by Indian Primer League (IPL) every year. Mustafizur Rahman becomes famous and was awarded the title cutter-master just after stepping in the national team. He is a fast-medium bowler and could score highest number of wickets in one-day international series. Our women team is doing well internationally as well.

We like to see our national football team in a position like cricket.  It is been played for a long time. So a relevant question remains why it cannot reach the desired place. Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is composed mostly with ex-famous footballer. They know better how it can be possible. They know better why this traditional game shifted from its position.