[Zunaid]

Ever since his return to the team in 2003, Ashraful has both tantalized and frustrated Bangladesh cricket fans. I thought I would gander through the ages to see what we had we had said on this very same forum. The sad part is that "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose" - the more things change the more they remain the same. Not only history repeats itself we are condemned to repeat it if we do not learn from it. Alas, Ash either did not learn or he chose to ignore. In either case, I do hope this prodigous talent will return like the prodigal son.

Bookended between two threads discussing his return to the fold and his sacking as a captain, I present an "oral" history of Ash and his fans.

The good days?

Sep 2002: Ashraful - Is he something or he is Something!
Dec 2002: Ashraful the star
Jan 2003: BBC on Mohammad Ashraful

Uh oh, did it start already?

Feb 2003: Why blame Ashraful
Mar 2003: Can Ashraful be like at least one of the Flower brothers?

And then he is dropped. And fans ask:

Oct 2003: Will Ashraful be ever back?
October 2003: Should we bring back Ashraful - under the circumstances?

Well, he is back.

Dec 2003: Shahriar, Ashraful recalled

We had high hopes

May 2004: Ashraful will score 2nd test hundred

Oops, what have we have here?

July 2004: Ashraful is playing like a goat because of Whatmore!!

And more hopes

Dec 2004: Graph: Tracking Mohammad Ashraful
Dec 2004:How about making Ashraful the captain and Mashrafee the vice captain?

And then it begins.

I will not put the links to the threads where we discussed Ashraful as the second coming. We know those events and we know what we said.

The fans turn

Jan 2005: Ashraful and Aftab should be kicked out if !!!
Jan 2005:What's wrong with Ashraful? ( 1 2 )
Jan 2005: do u think ashraful is overrated?
Jan 2005: Should Ashraful be dropped for the rest of this series?

But, it wasn't all downhill

Feb 2005: Clarke and Ashraful the bright lights in a gloomy year

Yet, it goes on

Mar 2005: Is Mohammed Ashraful himself his own worst enemy?
Mar 2005: Disappointed with Ashraful - Seriously

The storm clouds gather

April 2006:Only Solution For Ashraful ( 1 2 )
April 2006: Bangladesh team announced, Ashraful axed for second ODI
Oct 2006: Poll: Have your say: Where do you want Ash to be? ( 1 2 3 ... Last Page)
Oct 2006:The Answer To Ashraful ( 1 2 3 )
Nov 2006: Poll: should bangladesh remove Ashraful from the team

But, still

Nov 2006: Ashraful voted as 'Player of the Year' by sports journalists

And, yet through 2007

The three below are so symptomatic:

Ashraful Shld Be Axed ( 1 2 3 )
Wisden: Ashraful one of ten players that will define Cricket for the next decade
Ashraful, why cant he play well?


2007: And then he is captain

News Just in : Ashraful Captain, Mashrafee Vice-captain ( 1 2 3 ... Last Page)
Poll: Ashraful Captain of the test team,a wise move? ( 1 2 )
YouTube: Capt. Ashraful & Vice Capt. Mashrafe's very first interviews

2007: Ouch

Ashraful: " i want to take bangladesh to top 5 " ( 1 2 )
A great move by BD to make Ashraful captain

2007: A temporary respite against Sri Lanka and a few good days

Too much hype?

Ashraful the best ( 1 2 )
'Credit should go to Ashraful' - Jayawardene
Lara, Sachin....Ashraful? ( 1 2 )

Next change: the superstars of the future, Cricinfo round table : David Lloyd picks Ashraful
Ashraful & Mashrafe Win BSWA Best Sportsman Awards
Ashraful won the Kenya T20 Player of the Series
Ashraful engineers humiliation
The Matur‘ing’ Ashraful ( 1 2 )
Mashrafe and Ashraful nominated for CricInfo awards
Ashraful is a threat for us- Vettori

2007: The doubts come back

Ashraful says he is confident! Do we believe in him?

2008: Deja Vu

Poll: Should we drop Ashraful as the captain? ( 1 2 3 ... Last Page)
Should Ashraful be dropped? ( 1 2 )
**** The Official Everything Mohammed Ashraful Does Thread ****
Ashraful has been WARNED
Ashraful got the worst cricketing knowldge of all time
Ashraful Enigma
Siddons urges Ashraful to perform ( 1 2 3 )

2007: Does he not learn?

I'm Batting Ok,I'm following the team rules: Mohammad Ashraful ( 1 2 )
i cant believe what ashraful says ?

2007: more and more

Should BCB give a Break to Ashraful for The Upcoming Triangular Cricket Event ?
Mohammad Ashraful Matin: A Personality Profile ( 1 2 )

2007: Still no learnin'

"I also wanna play shots" - Ashraful talks to Tarek Mahmud

Say, what?

Poll: Tendulkar vs Ashraful ( 1 2 3 ... Last Page)

2008: Here we go again

Ashraful defends the decision to bowl first
look this is the reason why ashraful is immature
Strip captaincy off Ashraful please!!!!! ( 1 2 )
Why is it all going wrong for Mohammad Ashraful? ( 1 2 )

2008: He said it but did he learn?

'I have let many people down' - Ashraful

2008: Ouch again.

Siddons on Ashraful: "If it were anyone else he wouldn't be in the side"

2008 gives way to 2009

Ashraful failed ( 1 2 )
Another Four Ball Quote from Ashraful
Times up for Ashraful...Seriously this time!
This loss totally blamed on Ashraful ( 1 2 3 ... Last Page)
Petition to sack Ashraful thread ( 1 2 3 ... Last Page)
Lesser souls hold a lesson for Ashraful

2009: Ash is contagious

Fire Siddons and Ashraful! ( 1 2 3 )

2009: Ash holds them off a bit

Ashraful retains his captaincy ( 1 2 )

2009: But the end is near

Ashraful listed as 1 of the worst test batsmen ( 1 2 )
Ashraful stays strangely silent ( 1 2 )
Boyan to murkho ashraful
I'm done with Ashraful ( 1 2 )
BCB Awakens!!! ( 1 2 3 ... Last Page)
Who's Ashraful fooling?
Ashraful sacked, officially ( 1 2 )