Bashar’s belated wisdom

Former national skipper Habibul Bashar urged the new generation of cricketers to think twice before moving away from the mainstream.
“Over the last eight months I realised the pains of staying away from the mainstream,” Bashar said explaining the reasons behind his decision to cut ties with the unapproved Indian Cricket League (ICL).
It was nice to see a cricketer like Bashar change his mind to come back in the mainstream as he is not only one of the best batsmen the country has ever produced but also a leader who has captained the national team to some remarkable international success.
But his return has raised numerous questions that need to be answered and the 36-year old faced those hard questions while talking with the reporters at an official press briefing at a local hotel yesterday; a day after he submitted a letter to BCB president Lt Gen Sina Ibn Jamali mentioning that he wanted to avail the “amnesty.”
There had been different opinions among the cricket lovers in the country with regards to decision of the rebel cricketers when they pointed out that it was not only money but also the behaviour of the cricket authority, which forced them to join the unauthorised Indian T20 competition.
So, the obvious question facing Bashar was whether the situation had changed dramatically or whether he was admitting to a mistake with his decision of taking up the ‘amnesty’.
The experienced campaigner however came up with diplomatic answers to these questions.
“In your life you definitely make some mistakes and everything was not right from my side,” was the answer of the smiling Bashar.
“No doubt money is a big issue for any professional but I realised that it’s not everything in life. Over the last eight months I experienced the other part of the world and realised that money is not everything. My message for the young players is that there is nothing comparable to national pride,” he explained.
“I could realise how much national pride meant and it’s real value. The privilege a national player enjoys in his life simply can’t compare with anything. I am a social person by nature and love to enjoy times with different kind of people, so it was hard for me to live a life as an unwanted cricketer,” he said adding that he had a hope that the ICL would get the ICC’s approval.
Bashar said that he cut the ties with ICL as he already asked the authority for a no objection certificate (NOC) and is now looking forward to making his comeback in the mainstream competitions.
“I want to return soon as I love to play and I believe that I can still play for another one-two years. There is a six-month cooling period and I know I have to prove my fitness first. I am confident because board officials are very much cordial,” he informed.
The former skipper also said that he is ready to help his other ‘Dhaka Warriors’ colleagues to make their comeback.
“I have taken my own decision because there were different opinions when we met before the board meeting. My lawyer is looking after the legal issues and I already informed everybody that I am ready to help them if they want to take the chance of amnesty,” he said.
The man from Kushtia admitted that there has been some cracks in the relationship between the rebel cricketers and the current mainstream players and officials but he believes that everything would be okay with the passage of time.

Courtesy of The Daily Star