Sports being a fan is really something odd.
For years, millions of Bangladeshis have been draping themselves in indigo and white and cheering their hearts out for a South American country, praying for their triumph, shedding tears of joy in their victories, and mourning their defeat in a football tournament where they have zero stakes.
Bangladesh’s love affair with Argentina started with Diego Maradona and the 1986 FIFA World Cup and this unique bond has only grown stronger in the years that followed.
For quite a while, this was an uneven relationship, with Argentinians being to a great extent uninformed about the gigantic help they have in a far-off South Asian country.
But social media has once again worked its magic, as videos and pictures of Bangladesh’s Argentina fanaticism have made their way into Argentine media, and the people in Argentina are both shocked and overwhelmed by their ‘footballing compatriots.’
El grupo llegó a 41 mil pic.twitter.com/eCwasjnd5J
— Rulo de viaje (@Dan_Lande) December 4, 2022
To show their appreciation, a great many Argentinians have assembled via web-based entertainment and opened ally bunches for Bangladesh in the game where they have tracked down the most measure of outcome in, cricket.
However, Bangladesh’s new Argentinian fans are facing one major problem. Most of them have no clue what cricket even is!
But that’s not stopping them from cheering for the Bangladesh cricket team. After Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s heroics took Bangladesh to a one-wicket win over India on Sunday, the hashtag, ‘Vamos Bangladesh’ started making rounds on different social media.
En breve sale resumen en stories de Instagram de lo mas destacado de las primeras horas del primer grupo de argentinos fans de la selección de cricket de Bangladesh https://t.co/QLst30jEhU pic.twitter.com/4wbZUtVEbM
— Rulo de viaje (@Dan_Lande) December 3, 2022
Notwithstanding, with regards to cricket, Bangladesh and Argentina are more associated than a great many people understand.
Truth be told, Bangladesh has run into each other a few times with Argentina at the early phase of their cricketing venture when Argentina was in fact the veteran cricketing country and Bangladesh were the fledglings.
Argentina’s Cricketing History
Argentina, a country that is hypnotized with football, really has an extremely fascinating cricketing history that traces all the way back to the nineteenth 100 years.
Cricket has been played in Argentina since the mid-1800s and Argentina played its most memorable authority global match in 1868 against Uruguay, over 100 years before a nation named Bangladesh carved its put on the world guide.
First-class cricket in Argentina began in 1912 when the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) sent a team to the country for a three-match series.
After that, in 1932 a team of South American cricketers, most of whom were from Argentina, toured England for a first-class series.
Be that as it may, disregarding rehashed endeavors of the MCC, who were the game's overseeing body at that point, cricket never fully got on in the South American country.
Bangladesh and Argentina’s paths converge
In 1979, Bangladesh, a country that restored freedom only eight years, sent a cricket crew to Britain to participate in the ICC Prize interestingly.
A top-two finish in the tournament would’ve sealed Bangladesh a spot in the World Cup. However, for Bangladesh, it was too big a dream to accomplish at the time.
The practical objective for the group was to win a couple matches and attempt to fit the bill for the knockout phase of the 15-group competition.
There was another country in that tournament who were in a similar position. They were also in England for their first appearance at the ICC Trophy. That team, of course, was Argentina.
In that competition, Bangladesh and Argentina didn't run into each other. Argentina was in Gathering An and Bangladesh was in Gathering B and the two groups, true to form, neglected to go past the main round.
The two teams finally met on a cricket ground in the 1986 edition of the tournament.
The match took place on 25 June, a day before Argentina was set to face Belgium in the semifinal of the FIFA World Cup.
On 26 June, Argentina defeated Belgium 2-0 thanks to a brace from the indomitable Maradona, sending Argentinians and Bangladeshis into a delirium.
But a day prior, only the Bangladeshis were smiling as they defeated Argentina by seven wickets in a group-stage match.
Yet again the two groups next met at the 1994 ICC Prize, when Bangladesh came on top by seven wickets.
In the 1997 ICC Prize, the version which Bangladesh won to seal their spot in the ICC Cricket World Cup for the absolute first time, Bangladesh began its mission against Argentina, a game they dominated by five wickets.
Bangladesh took off in worldwide cricket after its victory in 1997, as in only three years' time Bangladesh was a Test-playing country.
Argentina, then again, relapsed further in the cricketing scene. They are as yet dynamic in cricket and have men's, ladies', and age-level cricket crews. Argentina is routinely partaking in South American cricket contests however are yet to stir things up on the worldwide stage.
Deja vu
This isn't whenever Bangladeshi football first fans have stood out as truly newsworthy in one more nation and gathered help for their cricket crew.
Before the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a gathering of Bangladeshis, burnt out on the consistent quibbling between fans who backed groups like Brazil, Argentina, Germany, and France, opened a Facebook allies bunch for Honduras.
This news some way or another advanced toward Honduras, a generally obscure element in world football equipped for their absolute third FIFA World Cup in 2014.
Individuals in Honduras were astounded by Bangladesh's help and consequently began supporting the Bangladesh cricket crew via online entertainment.
However, that one-of-a-kind relationship gradually disappeared.
After eight years, this time the Argentines are supporting Bangladesh cricket, for certain fans, in any event, calling their football relationship to organize well-disposed games with Bangladesh.
Me despido con este delirio hermoso, que es el grupo de facebook de Fans argentinos de la selección de cricket de Bangladesh. Un grupo de desquiciados/as mezcla de euforia y ansiedad por el partido de mañana, con agradecimiento eterno al pueblo de Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/sa9HqZllAK
— Rulo de viaje (@Dan_Lande) December 3, 2022
Although unlikely, watching a football match between Argentina and Bangladesh would be a dream come true for millions of Bangladeshis.
If by some miracle, it does happen, perhaps Bangladesh could also extend an invitation to the Argentine cricket association, inviting them to play against a Test-playing nation.
But no such steps are taken by either party, this unique and heartening convergence of fandoms will wane with time.