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The posters are everywhere in Dhaka, emblazoned with messages imploring Bangladesh's cricket team to be "heroes" at this "once-in-a-lifetime" World Cup party.
It's a party that is set to end with a whimper after Shakib Al Hasan's team slumped to 78 all out and a 206-run thrashing by a supposedly under-strength South Africa on Saturday.
Bangladesh will be out of the tournament unless West Indies loses to India on Sunday by a colossal margin. It is a shattering thought for this cricket crazy nation of 150 million people.
Cricket administrators are planning a view. Fans will demand explanations.
"We did not expect it, this is shocking," 24-year-old fan Jasim Uddin told The Associated Press as he sat on the pavement outside Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
"We had held our hopes high, we loved them a lot, but what did they give us?"
Bangladesh is only the ninth-ranked one-day team, so perhaps to expect a quarterfinal place was too much — but hopes were raised when Shakib's team won home series against New Zealand and Zimbabwe in the lead-up to the tournament.
However, the pressure proved too much and two batting collapses — the 58 against West Indies and Saturday's paltry effort against the South Africans — proved the team's undoing after they had given themselves hope with an unexpected win over England.
"This was a pressure match. We knew we had to win. The team just could not bear the pressure," Shakib said Saturday.
The Bangladesh captain, who scored 38 and was the only batsman to reach double figures against South Africa, apologized to the fans, who began to leave the ground when their team crumbled to 36-5 chasing 285.
"How come they batted that bad?" Uddin asked. "Don't they feel how much we expect from them? I don't care what he says."
Those supporters who stayed at the ground found solace in humor as they cheered their team passing the 58 it managed against West Indies, but the mood quickly turned to despair as Bangladesh slumped to a crushing defeat.
There was anger after the West Indies game when supporters threw stones at the opposition team's bus and also at Shakib's house.
In the immediate aftermath of Saturday's loss, there appeared to be mainly resignation among the Bangladesh fans, many with their faces painted in the red and green of the country's flag.
"You can't find excuses once you are dismissed for 78," Shakib said. "We did not bat well. We did not bat well throughout the tournament."
Manzur Ahmed, the chief executive of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, said everybody was "in shock," but promised a review of the team's performance.
"They could not play well, we have to accept that and look forward," Ahmed told the AP by phone. "We did not expect such a performance, especially such a bad batting performance, but what can we do?
"We will sit down, we will check what we need to do for cricket, and actually where we are. Let's look forward."
That seems unlikely to ease the pain for Bangladesh's passionate fans. Dhaka will host two quarterfinals this week, and neither is set to feature the host.
"Our fans deserved more ... but we have let them down," Shakib said. "I am sorry for that."
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It's a party that is set to end with a whimper after Shakib Al Hasan's team slumped to 78 all out and a 206-run thrashing by a supposedly under-strength South Africa on Saturday.
Bangladesh will be out of the tournament unless West Indies loses to India on Sunday by a colossal margin. It is a shattering thought for this cricket crazy nation of 150 million people.
Cricket administrators are planning a view. Fans will demand explanations.
"We did not expect it, this is shocking," 24-year-old fan Jasim Uddin told The Associated Press as he sat on the pavement outside Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
"We had held our hopes high, we loved them a lot, but what did they give us?"
Bangladesh is only the ninth-ranked one-day team, so perhaps to expect a quarterfinal place was too much — but hopes were raised when Shakib's team won home series against New Zealand and Zimbabwe in the lead-up to the tournament.
However, the pressure proved too much and two batting collapses — the 58 against West Indies and Saturday's paltry effort against the South Africans — proved the team's undoing after they had given themselves hope with an unexpected win over England.
"This was a pressure match. We knew we had to win. The team just could not bear the pressure," Shakib said Saturday.
The Bangladesh captain, who scored 38 and was the only batsman to reach double figures against South Africa, apologized to the fans, who began to leave the ground when their team crumbled to 36-5 chasing 285.
"How come they batted that bad?" Uddin asked. "Don't they feel how much we expect from them? I don't care what he says."
Those supporters who stayed at the ground found solace in humor as they cheered their team passing the 58 it managed against West Indies, but the mood quickly turned to despair as Bangladesh slumped to a crushing defeat.
There was anger after the West Indies game when supporters threw stones at the opposition team's bus and also at Shakib's house.
In the immediate aftermath of Saturday's loss, there appeared to be mainly resignation among the Bangladesh fans, many with their faces painted in the red and green of the country's flag.
"You can't find excuses once you are dismissed for 78," Shakib said. "We did not bat well. We did not bat well throughout the tournament."
Manzur Ahmed, the chief executive of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, said everybody was "in shock," but promised a review of the team's performance.
"They could not play well, we have to accept that and look forward," Ahmed told the AP by phone. "We did not expect such a performance, especially such a bad batting performance, but what can we do?
"We will sit down, we will check what we need to do for cricket, and actually where we are. Let's look forward."
That seems unlikely to ease the pain for Bangladesh's passionate fans. Dhaka will host two quarterfinals this week, and neither is set to feature the host.
"Our fans deserved more ... but we have let them down," Shakib said. "I am sorry for that."
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