The Bangabandhu stadium, which was formerly the National stadium, was erected in the 1950's to host cricket matches. It has always been a circular cricket ground, never a football stadium.

The Shere-Bangla stadium at Mirpur was purpose built as a football facility (I attended its inauguration in 1985). It was only because of the intransigence of the Bangladesh football federation that the Bangabandhu stadium had to be handed over for football.

The stadium at Mirpur, originally designed for football, then had to be recast to fit cricket.

As a result, we have a stadium where the dressing rooms are located square of the wicket, rather short square boundaries and very long straight boundaries which have to roped off, leaving vast, useless spaces at each end.

In my opinion it would have been better to spend money on modernising the old cricket stadium than trying to create a cricket ground out of a facility originally not meant for the purpose.

This particular stadium would undergo massive development works after the England team leaves for the 2011 World Cup. It will be made into an all seater stadium with permanent sheds. Also new tubular floodlights would be installed along with new electronic scoreboards and video screens. Development work will also be done in the stadiums in Chittagong, Fatullah and Khulna.

Very informative article, again. I wasn't familiar with some of the information regarding the new cricket ground even though I am a Bangladeshi myself. Thank you again and wish you an exciting tour of Bangladesh!

Informative article, good to see some progress made on infrastructure side. Now Bangladesh Cricket Board needs to improve the domestic first class cricket structure to create a world beating team of the future.

One of the positives of the upcoming Worldcup will be the development of cricket facilities outside of Dhaka aswell. Chittagong Stadium is going to go through massive renovation and hopefully BD will have atleast one more world class venue outside of Mirpur Stadium.

Andrew, waiting to see your report from Chittagong city for the 3rd ODI and Test..

Hi Andrew Miller

Congratulations and thanks for the memory you have raised and kept in your mind. This is one kind of Nostalgia which happened only for self country. But this time where I got you quite difference.

ilove cricket

Great article by Miller. It reminds me that we have a cricket ground named Bangabandhu Stadium. 'Home of Cricket' is above OKAY but we the Bangladeshi still miss our vanue of historic first test match.

Just to clarify, the (now) Bangabandhu stadium was built for cricket and hosted one test of Pakistan's first home series. Football was played there during the (monsoon) season whiel cricket was played in winter.

Thanks Mr. Miller for your nice article. I think, more and more International Cricket Stadium is needed for Bangladesh for the continuous improvement.

Absolutely spot on. Written with a gentle empathy that The White Man Abroad can summon up when he's had a decent shower and breakfast in a Third World country.

Great writting. Really enjoyed the text. Thanks Andrew. This will surely inspire Bangladeshi cricket.

Thanks Andrew Miller for this good write-up.Normally foreign journalists/reporters/editors do not write anything good about Banglsdesh but you did.

Thanks Mr. Andrew for the nice article,nice to see these stuffs from someone like your point of view.
Enjoy your staying here.

Thanks ANDREW 4this artical

In terms of criketing facility, I think Sher-e-Bangla stadium exceeds Bangabandhu stadium. And in that time of nasty row over ownership of Bangabandhu stadium, BCB showed sacrifice.

thanks for this great article; brings back a lot of memories.

wow.. wasiq khan.. if this was facebook i'd 'like' your comment. thats some proper in-depth knowledge. and i totally support your views, giving bangabandhu stadium away to football was blasphemy!!

Hi Miller, thanks lot for the article, very usefull for BCCB and cricket lover of Bangladesh. Wish BCCB would be able to make over & decorate Mirpur as an international level

nice to read all the datas u've posted. have nice tour to our country but pls get ready to get a bitter taste too(as we r going to beat england in this tour, ) hahahahaha. anyway, like ur writing. tnx again.

Insaallah Bangladesh win 2011 worldcup.

Cricket has always been associated with nostalgia and undoubtedly it added a different dimension to the game itself, particularly to cricket-literature. Mr.Andrew Miller has beautifully expressed his passion and fond memories pertaining to the Bangabandhu Stadium. This particular stadium should have been dedicated exclusively for cricket, and thus would become a memento for Bangladesh cricket and ultimately a nostalgic symbol for many like Mr.Miller. Thanks to him for the passion.

Hi Andrew! Thanks a lot!! Hopefully we can get you more oppurtunity in near future to write so many encouriging words, sentences for our cricket, country & nation.

bangabandhu stadium is one of the ancient and historical play ground in this indian subcontinent.i think cricket should be replace mirpur from bangabandhu stadium.

Thanks for the article. It is really nice to hear andrew and really this stadium is something very precious for us.But is essential for us to take necessary steps to make it more beautiful and precious.

change is going all around Bangladesh cricket.most significant change is that Bangladesh dropped ashraful. yes,stadium is good. one fo the best in this subcontinent. pitch is also good. pitch is also good for cricket.

I live in Canada. This article reminds me of my beloved Dhaka where I grew up. I watched numerous test matches in Dhaka stadium in sixties. I felt nostalgic.
Thanks to Mr. Miller.

I live in Canada. This article reminds me of my beloved Dhaka where I grew up. I watched numerous test matches in Dhaka stadium in sixties. I felt nostalgic.
Thanks to Mr. Miller.

Thanks Andrew for this informative article....I was a bit surprised , how an stadium can be described such a poetic yet elegantly . Enjoy Bangladesh , Enjoy the tour...Expecting many more article from you on this tour...Once again thank you, Mr. Miller.

It's really nice to look at the stadium.It is also hopeful for Bangladesh cricket future that the stadium is being newly marvelously shaped day by day.

It's really nice to look at the stadium.It is also hopeful for Bangladesh cricket future that the stadium is being newly marvelously shaped day by day.

It's really nice to look at the stadium.It is also hopeful for Bangladesh cricket future that the stadium is being newly marvelously shaped day by day.

Thanks for your nice report on cricket stadium of Bangladesh

Thanks for your nice report on cricket stadium of Bangladesh

HI, Andrew,

Thanks for your informative artcdle. I had the opportunity to watch the first Test Cricet match of my life at Bangobondhu Stadium when I was only 12. My dad took me to the stadium (do not remember the year) to watch Pakiistan against West Indies. I remember Welesly Hall,Griffith,Rohan Kanhai were some of the players representing Their team. Fazal Mahmood,Mahmudul Hassan,Hanif Mohammed were playing for our country {Pakistan).I do not understand why the stadium which was built for cricket, has to be handed over to Fooyball Federation, for Soccer.
This stadium (Bangabandhu) has a historic appeal.Why we have failed to protect our histric Cricket Ground. While Lords in England is still there being one of the oldest monumental Syadium bearig Enhglish Cricket History, why not we could protect our one.
I am now about 60, living in the United States, wakeup all night to watch Bagladesh matches. I love Bangladesh, Bangldesh National Cricket team

Just one little thing to add. The Sher-E- Bangla Stadium ground was not actually rectangular. It had athletics track on it which surrounded the football ground in the middle, so the ground was oval always. In the preliminery stages of change, we anticipated that some parts of the gallery would have to be demolished to fit a cricket ground. But later the galleries were left untouched.

Thanks Mr. Miller for the informative article.

i think We should built a big Cricket ground in sylhet like the SCG.........I wonder why they still haven't built a Cricket Stadium in Sylhet?

Many thanks for a good & true topics.This is the positive depiction of a writer.Hope next time we will see like this .Again thanks.

Agree with Wasiq Khan. The Mirpur stadium totally lacks in atmosphere - although that may perhaps develop over the next 20 years or so. However, watching cricket from square of the pitch is just not fun. If the stadium is being remodelled for the WC, hopefully this will be taken care of.

ok,mirpur is a really beutiful stadium

I THINK GOV AND CRICKET BOARD SHOULD NOT OVERLOOK BOGRA CHANDU STADIUM.IT HAS BIG PROSPECT IF IT CAN BE USED. GOV CAN BUILT AN AIRPORT IN BOGRA TO MAKE THE STADIUM AS A CLASS ONE ITERNATIONAL CRICKET VENUE.

thanks andrew. i am totally agree with you.
now we need to carry on the good work....

@v.narayanan i really find it rather absurd and out of focus for you to mention about bangladesh to be annexed in india for the sake of better cricket stadium

i agree with partha Rahman. Why in this world we would be part of India. Who actually wants to be part of india where more than 40% people live under the poverty level and where they still have social casting and they have been playing cricket for so many decades. I think these indians should keep their mouth shut and think about cricket instead of these crappy comments.

I agree with most of his article but it is just the ending that I think is typical bulling mentality of the bigger cricketing nations. Most of the times, I think, its unintentional but never the less, we as the fans of a smaller cricketing nation, do feel the pinch of comments like these. The writer says, "What it needs now is a team to apply a finish". I think it is fairly easy to criticise the Bangladeshi cricket team which is the newest member in the test cricket arena. Criticism should be constructive with the intention of assisting the new team. A strong Bangladeshi team is good for all concerned in the cricket world. One should not forget that Bangladesh is in the international arena not because of anyone's sympathy but because of it's ability to perform. If anyone is in doubt of the teams ability, please look back at Bangladesh's match vs. Australia 18.06.05 Cardif, Pakistan 31.5.99 Northampton, India 17.3.07 Port of Spain and there are more examples like these.

first of all thanks to mille for describing the real fact of mirpur stadium.In 2007 i got a oppercunity to watch a cricket match between bangladesh vs india.I saw the whole stadium..it was really nice stadium...specially the ground field was tremondous....and sitting from the galllery to see the stadium .It was really beautiful and after 2 years it would have been more attractive.....
HOPEFULLY LIKE THIS STADIUM BANGLADESH CRICKET WILL GO AHEAD AND ALSO THE WHOLE COUNTRY

Thanks Mille for your comments. That will also remind our cricket heads to think more about their arduous task ahead in connection with the world cup. I wish our players to think assertive as Mille was in his article. Long live Bangladesh Cricket.

thanks miller, for your article about our new cricket venue.I hope you will continue to write more positive article avout our cricket...

wow ... very nice article. I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you Andrew Miller for a great informative piece relating to Bangladesh and its cricket. It's nice to learn about what could be a great leading nation in cricket in the future. Mirpur Stadium is really quite interesting!

Hello,

The new stadium needs a tonne of work. I was in Dhaka two years ago and managed to catch a game there. I remember it was raining. I had to walk through mud ridden fields to get to the Stadium. Lets not even address the washroom situation. Why is that? As a Bangladeshi, I feel a bit awkward thinking that this Stadium will be hosting the opening ceremonies for the World Cup in 2011. I hope that the guests from around the World won't have to experience what I did.

Perhaps it has changed now, and I sure hope it did. I'm very proud to be Bangladeshi and I only vent because of my passion.

Peace be with everyone,

Thanx!!!!!!!!!!!

I just sent this post to a bunch of my friends as I agree with most of what you’re saying here and the way you’ve presented it is awesome.