If was New Years Dav 1955.
Thousands, young and old alike, made their way towards the old Pallan Maidan to witness the making of history. Pakistan cricket team playing its first home Test against India and that too in Dhaka.
Like the other enthusiasts, we had also come to, Dhaka from distant places to watch a cricket Test match which had always remained a dream for us — a dream which used to take hazy patterns on the pages of The Statesman, reported by people whose names did not matter Yes. Calcutta was a Test match venue, but we were too young to travel by ourselves, however, impassioned we might have been. And then the partition of India in 1947 made it ipore difficult to cross over the border and enjoy a Test at the Eden Gardens. But some of us were more adventurous than others and until 1952 when passports were introduced between India and Pakistan, they made regular visits and always came back with fascinating tales which did never find a place in the newspapers. Indeed, the background material^ sometimes overshadowed the original events. Until then Calcutta was the only place around which could stage an official Test mafch.
In 1950-51 Pakistan detested Nigel Howard s MCC team at Karachi by 4 wickets in an unofficial Test India seized Ihjs'tlgaeUili.pU tP jUair,
pos< I'.ikistan as trill member of ICC (or was it England?) and registered her first 'Rubber' win in 1952 53 season when Pakistan loured India, winning at Delhi and Boiribay and losing at Lucknow — the other two at Madras and Calcutta being drawn.
In 1954-55 season India started their return visit from Chittagong.
Except the corrugated sheet-fenced Dhaka District
. Sports Association ground with some wooden stands at the Paltan Maidan, there was hardly any facility which could be conducive to any real sporting activity. But it was also inadequate for a Test match.
The necessity of a real stadium with properly laid wickets stared in the face of the organisers, who were, in turn. short of experience which goes into the successful staging of events of such mag- ' nitude and construction of a stadium.
The saying "Necessity* is the mother of invention" could not be more true than it was reflected in the thinking of the organisers. A plan of an ambitious (in those days) stadium was drawn up and construction started in late 1954. First the first tier of the western gallery was taken up for construction so that it could be completed before January 1. 1955.
There were brisk activities all-around. Engineers and technicians with their limited knowledge of such construction worked round-the-clock, while the bewildered labourers
went over the same grounds time and again. A matting wicket had to be laid under the direct supervision of A.H. Kardar. captain of Pakistan cricket team. It was a Jute matting which was supposed to help Pakistan's master bowler on soft wicket. Fazal Mahmood. Only three and half months back Fazal helped Pakistan create cricketing history by singlehandedly achieving victory over England at The Oval. He took 12 wickets in the match — a rare feat by a bowler who bowled leg-cutters (quick leg-breaks) with masterly ease and deadly accuracy in his first tour of England. The 4-Test series was drawn. This was another achievement by Pakistan cricketers. It was. therefore, natural that this team was flying high when they faced India at Dhaka.
The half-complete stadium was Just about ready to hold the historic event. The wooden stands were renovated and a number of new ones constructed and erected on the eastern boundary. A part of this gallery was reserved for the students and we. in plentiful numbers, packed It like sardines at a pittance of 1 Rupee 8 annas (One hundred and fifty paisa to be exact at current rates) for the full four days of duration of the match. Oh God. give us back those days!
But the much-awaited first Test was a tame draw. Neither side could get an upperhand tn the dull match.
During all these years Dhaka SUhUum tws been the
centre of all sporting activity and a major one in South Asia. A stadium which was built almost overnight for staging a cricket Test.
But to this day it has been used for many games specially football.. The people of Bangladesh have very high hopes about their cricket. Many are of the opinion that this game has a better future than soccer In this country. We may agree or we may not. But it is only true that this game needs a home of its own if it has to improve or flourish. We have built a brand new stadium at Mirpur with the sole idea and purpose to call it a home for football. We spent a lot of money for it but what do we gel in return — nothing. The huge edifice stands there as a colossal waste. Some excuses are always forwarded by the organisers of football to perpetrate their authority on the Dhaka Stadium.
Wha,t does the National Sports Council do? Don't they realise that cricket needs its own ground as does football and other games if they have to improve? Please look al India. Pakistan and Sri Lanka. All these countries have full facilities for cricket In Bombay. Colombo and Lahore, there are two stadium in each of these cities for cricket only. We talk of International standards but are not willing to fulfil the basic needs.
If cricket has to improve it must have its own ground and Dhaka Stadium quite logically should be returned to cricket without further delay.