Mehidy Hasan Miraz, yeh 27 saal ka all-rounder, jo ab team ka naya captain bana hai, ek aise waqt mein zimmedari sambhal raha hai jab team 19 saal ke sabse neeche ICC ODI ranking par gir chuki hai. Haan, bilkul, 10th rank! Yeh wahi team hai jo kabhi Shakib Al Hasan aur Mashrafe Mortaza ke dum par duniya ko hairaan kar deti thi, aur ab? Ab toh lagta hai jaise unki batting line-up mein confidence hi khatam ho gaya hai, aur bowling? Bas, thodi si chamak Mustafizur Rahman ke cutters mein bachi hai. Par yeh Mehidy, yeh ladka toh kehta hai ki woh is team ko wapas uthayega, aur shayad uske haathon mein kuch jaadu hai bhi.
Chalo, thodi der ke liye mazaak chhodo, aur dekho ki Mehidy ke paas kya hai. Yeh banda sirf baaton ka nahi, balki kaam ka hai. 2021 mein Sri Lanka ke khilaaf ODI series mein usne apne off-spin se tabahi machayi thi, do matchon mein 7 wickets lekar ICC ODI bowling rankings mein No. 2 tak pahunch gaya tha. Yeh wahi series thi jahan Bangladesh ne apni pehli ODI series jeeti thi Sri Lanka ke khilaaf, 2-1 se. Aur yaad hai 2022 ka woh match Afghanistan ke khilaaf? Bangladesh 45/6 par thi, aur phir Mehidy aur Afif Hossain ne 174 run ka partnership karke match chheen liya. Yeh banda pressure mein dikhata hai ki uske paas dil hai, aur shayad yahi dil ab team ko chahiye.
Mehidy ka captaincy ka safar bhi koi naya nahi hai. Woh pehle bhi 4 ODI matches mein captaincy kar chuka hai, jab Najmul Hossain Shanto chot ke wajah se nahi khel paya tha. Haan, woh series West Indies ke khilaaf 3-0 se haari thi, par usme Mehidy ka koi khaas kasoor nahi tha. Team ka set-up Shanto ka tha, aur Mehidy bas field sambhal raha tha. Ab, jab uske paas poora ek saal hai captaincy ke liye, woh apni soch laga sakta hai. Usne kaha hai ki woh team ko “fearless cricket” khelne ke liye inspire karega. Aur yeh baat dil ko chhoo jati hai, kyunki Bangladesh ke paas talent toh hai – Litton Das ke aggressive shots, Mushfiqur Rahim ka experience, aur Shakib ka woh purana jaadu jo kabhi bhi wapas aa sakta hai.
Yeh team kabhi kamzor nahi thi, bas thodi si badkismat rahi hai. Yaad karo 1999 World Cup mein Pakistan ko harane wala woh match, jahan Bangladesh ne duniya ko dikhaya tha ki woh kisi se kam nahi. Ya phir 2015 World Cup, jab England ko hara kar quarter-finals mein jagah banayi thi. Yeh woh team hai jo apne ghar mein kisi ko bhi hara sakti hai, khaas kar spin-friendly pitches par. Mehidy, jo khud ek off-spinner hai aur batting mein bhi dikhata hai ki woh lad sakta hai, shayad yeh team ko wapas usi raah par le jaaye. Sri Lanka ke khilaaf July mein hone wali teen ODI matches ki series uska pehla imtehaan hogi. Aur yeh series koi aasaan nahi hogi, kyunki Sri Lanka mein Bangladesh ka record bahut kharab hai – 36 ODI matches mein sirf 4 jeet! Par agar Mehidy apne players ko apni tarah josh dila sake, toh shayad ek naya itihas likha jaaye.
Lekin chalo, thodi si sachchai bhi sun lo. Cricket mein umeed rakhna achha hai, par zameen par haalaat itne simple nahi hote. Bangladesh ke batsmen ka form, khaas kar top-order, kafi samay se up-down chal raha hai. 2023 World Cup mein Shakib aur Mehidy dono hi runs ke liye joojh rahe the, aur fast bowling bhi Mustafizur ke alawa koi khaas dum nahi dikha pa rahi thi. Abhi team ke paas ek saal mein 23 ODI matches khelne ka mauka hai, par kya yeh team consistency la payegi? Yeh sawal hai jo har Bangladeshi fan ke dil mein hai. Mehidy ke paas talent hai, passion hai, par cricket mein sirf yeh kaafi nahi hota. Agar top-order na chala, aur agar spinners spin-friendly pitches ke bahar struggle karein, toh shayad yeh nayi umeed bhi ek aur heartbreak mein badal jaye. Bas, yeh dekhna baaki hai ki Mehidy ka yeh sapna kitna sach hota hai, ya phir yeh bhi ek aur kahani ban kar reh jayega.
