CRICKET WORLD CUP:BANGLADESH FANS, who greeted the opening of the World Cup with a glorious celebration two weeks ago, stoned the West Indian team bus in Dhaka yesterday after a humiliating defeat for the home team.

As the victorious West Indian side sat in the bus shortly after leaving the Shere Bangla Stadium to return to the hotel after the match, fans threw stones, two of which hit the window and broke the glass. Nobody was hurt.

Shakib Al Hasan’s Bangladesh team had earlier been humiliated by a rampant West Indian attack, skittled for their lowest ever one-day international score of 58 before falling to a nine-wicket defeat.

The attacks, although resulting in no injuries, are an embarrassment both to the Bangladesh security forces and government which has spent millions of dollars on player and fans’ safety and the sport’s governing bodies.

West Indies opener Chris Gayle tweeted from the bus: “Bangladesh stoning our bus!!! Freaking glass Break!!! This is crap, can’t believe ... what next bullets!!!!

“This is ridiculous!!! Damn!!! W Cup with so many security an this happen!! Big Joke!!! Trust me I’m not keen here!!! ... players lay flat!!!”

A Bangladesh police officer told Reuters the fans had thought the bus was carrying the home team.

Security at the tournament in the sometimes volatile region is a particularly big issue in the sport after a gun attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March 2009 leading to the deaths of eight people.

The mood of a crowd for the match – scene of the opening match on February 19th – had turned sour earlier after their team’s inept display.

In a symbolic gesture of their disgust, fans laid out their shoes on the road as the Bangladesh team bus drove through the capital.

As Shakib’s hapless men trooped off with heads kept low, fans tossed almost everything they could get their hands on – caps, placards, logos, even jerseys – to the outfield as a demonstration of their disappointment.