Looking back at the year 2002 that just went by, one can perhaps safely single out the ban on 'the health hazard' polythene bags as the best thing to have happened in the country. Albeit polythene eventually returned in poly-thick bags, but the always-divided nation was unanimous on this particular decision of the government.
Unfortunately, the government's role in the sports arena was mostly tainted with controversy that only brought shame for the country. The stubborn attitude of the government to send an elected body of the Bangladesh Football Federation in exile only drew FIFA ban in January.
Still, a few sportsmen unearthed their talents at the highest level with shooter Asif Hossain coming from nowhere to win the 10m Air Rifle gold in the Manchester Commonwealth Games. Asif's one-stroke brilliance was just another unexpected glory for the country, which is invariably known as also-rans in any international sporting event.
Asif is no doubt the conventional choice for the sports person of the year. But The Daily Star Sport decided to go beyond the conventional choice. And it has enough reasons to do so.
For, young Alok Kapali forced us to pick him up as the best sports person of 2002 through his sheer consistency and unwavering commitment in the trying stage of his country at the top flight of highly demanding international cricket.
Kapali has also been the most improved cricketer in a year when Bangladesh cricket hit its lowest ebb.
The 18-year-old from Sylhet has already earned the tag of 'Mr. Consistent' in his short international career entailing five Tests and 11 one-dayers.
Kapali declared his emergence as an international prodigy in the home series against West Indies where he notched his highest
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knocks in one-day and Test cricket.
The hard-working right-hander scored 307 in five Tests including an 85 in the second Test at Chittagong. Kapali made 228 in 11 ODIs with an unbeaten 89 in the third one-day at Dhaka.
A gifted on-side player, Kapali never had to look behind ever since he made his debut in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July.
"I had a sleepless night pondering how to face the likes of Chaminda Vaas and Muralitharan. But when I walked in to bat and middled the first ball from Vaas, the fear had just gone," Kapali recalled his first day in international cricket.
He scored 39 in the first innings and followed up with a useful 29 in the second to shine in an otherwise lacklustre Bangladesh batting cards.
His innocent smile belies his ability to hit back at any menacingly poised top bowlers of the world. And it came into play when the soft-spoken young man smashed an incensed Jacques Kallis for successive boundaries in the first Test against South Africa.
"He was bowling with a forward short-leg and abused me after I hooked a bouncer down the square leg boundary. He removed the short leg to deep square-leg and taunted me to take the challenge of a second bouncer with another spell of abusive words.
"The atmosphere was charged. But, I hooked him again and the ball raced to the boundary," said Kapali of his personal victory over the famed South African all-rounder. Interestingly, Kallis also singled out Kapali as the most promising Bangladesh all-rounder.
Kapali did not score a lot of runs in two Tests against South Africa, his highest being 38 not out there. But the speciality of Kapali is that he tries his best to put a price on his wicket. When his more reputed mates were at ease to throw away their wickets, he made bowlers to sweat to win his scalp.
"I knew that I had a chance to tour South Africa. I also knew that I would have to encounter express pace and disconcerting bounce. So, I concentrated on improving my reflexes in Sylhet where two of my friends took a soaked tennis ball and bowled from short distance," said Kapali of his simple preparation.
The youngest of ten siblings, Kapali set himself a target of five years to make it into the national fold and that too in the capacity of a legspinner. But it took him only a year to win a Test cap, and alas, not as a bowler but as a specialist batsman!
"That was definitely a dream come true for me. Senior cricketers always advised me to concentrate more on my bowling if I were to play for the country. The reason for that is the national team does not have a quality leg-spinner. It's an irony that it is with the bat that I'm doing well at the moment," he said.
Unfazed by the star status, Kapali is a down-to-earth person. A music lover, Kapali never forgets to carry along his portable CD player and always dreams of doing something for the millions cricket lovers of the country.
"I do not want to be a cricketer cut out for one season. I just want to forget what I have done this year and start afresh in the World Cup. I believe we will do better in South Africa because we are now not afraid of playing our shots," said Kapali.
If that should be the case, there is every reason for us to tune to the TV and watch the boys with anticipation.