No wonder, the players' appreciation of the crowds knew no bounds. And our admiration for the players of South Africa, West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand, England and Zimbabwe know few limits.
During Sunday's grand finale, as South Africa powered to their biggest tournament win since returning to the international cricket fold in 1990, it became clear that success of the Wills Cup has put Bangladesh firmly on the map. Officials of the International Cricket Council could not have praised the Bangladesh cricket authorities more for the excellent job done. The international media could not have done a bigger favour‚ with television beaming images across the world which showed a country steeped in culture, endowed with extraordinary natural beauty, populated by a fun-loving people and full of potential for progress.
Now that the curtains have finally come down on the greatest sporting theatre ever staged in Dhaka, the time has come to ponder over the possibilities of encores. The effort that everybody has put in for the success of the Wills Cup should not be seen as an isolated event, nor a on-off endeavour. It is events like these that provide opportunities for positive international exposure. The enthusiasm and sporting behaviour of the crowds at the stadium have done more to improve the image of the country abroad than a thousand diplomatic speeches could ever have done. Now it is upto the government to capitalise on the success of the Wills Cup and make Dhaka a regular venue for international cricket events which would also generate foreign exchange and help to improve domestic cricket.