What connects Bangladesh to New Zealand?

What connects Bangladesh to New Zealand?: “Reality is stranger than fiction”, and it is absolutely true. Take the case of former Kiwi skipper Chris Cairns and Bangladesh cricketer Mohammad Badshash for instance; both are the victims of their ill-fated luck. All cricket fans are well aware about Chris Cairns, the prolific former New Zealand Skipper who retired from Cricket in 2004.

The name of Mohammad Badshah might be unfamiliar to many, but he was a top order batsman and wicket keeper for Rajshahi division, a domestic cricket team of Bangladesh. He also led the team in First-class matches. Albeit, he couldn’t make his debut in an international match and remained one of those unfortunate domestic cricketers, who couldn’t play for his national team.

A tale of two unfortunate cricketers; Mohammad Badshah and Chris Cairns:

Badshah’s love for cricket began when he was a school kid. He always demonstrated his ample knowledge about the game as and when he played the game. Despite his good performance at the domestic levels, he failed to make it to the playing XI of Bangladesh test team. However, he didn’t lose hope and focused on his higher education instead.

On earning a MBA degree in 2013, he returned home. But destiny has planned something else for him. Badshah’s life took a dramatic U-turn after marriage. His wife’s deceitful behavior left him penniless. Yes, she conned the cricketer, which was a massive mental and psychological blow to the latter. He went on to become a rickshaw-puller to earn his livelihood. You can spot Mohammad Badshah on the streets day in and day out hiring passengers in his three-wheeler for few takas (Bangladesh currency).

The appalling story of Chris Cairns, a famous New Zealand all-rounder, is still more intriguing. The flamboyant cricketer is now seen doing menial and blue-collar jobs to support his family. He is doing this to meet the legal expenses toward fighting a legal battle in the Court of law to prove his innocence in an alleged match-fixing scandal. The circumstances compelled Cairns to drive trucks and clean bus shelter to earn 10-15 dollar per hour.

“He has no choice; he has to provide for his family. We have bills to pay like everyone else. We don’t own a house, we’re paying rent and getting by is a struggle,” Cairn’s wife Mel Croser told New Zealand media a few months back.

Cricket might connect Bangladesh and New Zealand to each other, but equally interesting is the fact that the tale of these two unfortunate cricketers brings both nations to the same platter.