There are more than 12 nations who rigorously compete with each other in modern day cricket, 6 of them have the added signature of being as superpower and thousands of star players familiar as specialists worldwide. Cricket is a strange game -yet there were very few nationals who showed their talent and represented their country to the bigger stages. We hear such a little number of the stories,even at the time when media lets us, but some of them really deserves attention.

The point which I was thinking for a while is that the challenges arent equal and not all of the players in any sporting discipline come across the same hurdles in the roads. Cricket for example considered as one of the expensive form of sports, lot of us know that -once it was played by the lords and governers and their associates who had enormous wealth and time to play. I am turning the view to the first few decades time when the onset cricket pointed to the early evolution.

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Today as we see that, those nations comparatively performed well in all parameters of cricket, e.g. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, West Indies etc, these nation barely had academy and institutions which could expose the opportunity to every willing heart who wants to cherish their dream further. Impoverished conditions, poverty, the hand to mouth conditions, urge of joining local job to support the cost of living and earning the bread for the family- because when you are young and family looks to you -- the responsibility lies within your shoulder to be the pillar of you family.

Now, as we see in the tv that the players are performing, living a luxurious life, the aura of press media covering them and the cricket board offering housing flats, the bank amounts,prize cars and attractive health insurance to them for the sake of winning a major title, government becoming happy for such achievements - these stories are one in the million and other 999999 stories fall behind and you dont get to see that, so as all of us!!

I myself personally came through thousands of them and day after day spent in countryside and rural academy, where few of the players used to play with just a pair of gloves, *two pads * & one helmet; a few bats offered to dozens of players in a team. A popping crease where schedules are there and organisers arranging matches in between two mega matches, just to save a fee bucks and money. Because those few dollars are valuable, the funds are less and budget is insufficient, so who would provide donations in midst of such corrupted and impoverished conditions?

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In a rural setting, the dream is at least bigger than capabilities,the tender eyes in young heads sparkle more than the shoes and dress they wear ; the same white jerseys point to hard work and consistent practice sessions,the hidden story that they went through so many hurdles, plights and distresses, joining the academy empty stomach and only relying to the little food and lunch packages at the end of seesion break, just having a few dollars in the bag as pocket money ; these are stories we dont see.

Poverty wasnt the ornament these states had, rather the greedy bureacrats and politicians, the ill-principled board officials filled their pockets upto the point where they laundered the money somewhere safe in the West Europe Arc, so that no investigative committee be able to search and charge against them. On the field, those young talented future players had to see that his family would starve if he continues playing and pursuing his dream - and so eyes get bleary when he puts off his helmet and bat, selling them to local street to get money back and invest them to business or work purpose. These are realities!

But, poverty couldn’t enchain a few of the dreamers, they went on and on and found a way out of the shackles, by breaking them, tearing them into pieces. Family starved or somehow manage to get their earning and run family by making debt or deposits, but the young man worked hard day in and day out, performed consistently in the divisional leagues and joined in first class cricket to national team threshold, securing positions with solid performance and winning out the world and made the country and those board officials proud - well these young man are many and one name you would know fairly well, he is Shakib Al Hasan.

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Very lately, Shakib became the best player of the month according to the judgment of ICC. Thats the second time he became that after 2021. He had been a key performer in Bangladesh cricket team for years on became **number #1 ranked all rounder reigning the title for decades time. He gave Bangladesh cricket everything they earned during the time and had been a consistent companion to achievement and loss, defeats and conquests, yet for some reason couldn’t enjoy personal choice.

For Boards NOC denial, couldn’t join IPL this year and out of resentment he forsaked playing this year and the ultimate time of his life. Things we see as delightful, but inside - it is even worse. Anywy,congrats to him and such players may arise from all underprivileged background -thats my wish.

Long Live Cricket,Long Live Such Stories, 💖