The Bangladesh cricket team, a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International(ODI) status, represents the nation in international cricket.
But the team has failed to win any ICC trophies to date. This has been a common issue with every Bangladesh cricket team till today. With all the hype among the Bangladesh media & their fans, the team has failed to live up to the expectations.
In this article, we will focus on why even after making its international debut in 1999, the Bangladesh Cricket team is still considered as weak.
Bangladesh Cricket Team History
The Bangladesh Cricket Team was the first team in the twenty-first century to receive the status of a Test-playing nation; it was the tenth team overall. At Dhaka’s Bangabandhu National Stadium, Bangladesh and India squared off in their inaugural Test match on November 10, 2000. The game only lasted 4 days when it was lost by 9 wickets.
However, it took the Bangladesh Cricket Team almost 4 years to win a Test match They did win their first test match against Zimbabwe on January 10, 2005, in Chittagong. This game was the first one Bangladesh has ever won in a two-game series versus Zimbabwe.
For almost 12 years, Bangladesh had to wait until they finally won a game of limited-overs cricket. On May 17, 1998, at Hyderabad, they defeated Kenya by a score of six wickets in their first One Day International match. In addition to Bangladesh and Kenya, the match was part of the Coca-Cola Triangular Series. It also featured the Indian cricket team.
The Bangladesh Cricket Team has won 168 of its 581 matches across all game types so far. The team has only won 13 of the 116 matches it has played in the Test format, but 125 of the 373 matches it has played in the ODI format. With 30 wins in 82 games in the T20I type of cricket, the Bangladesh Cricket Team has shown its best performance.
Issues with the Bangladesh Cricket Team
Bangladesh is a true cricket nation in the subcontinent, yet consistency is not one of their routines. The small cricketing crazy nation has failed to live up to its promise despite many attempts and cameos. Blowing hot and cold at will, standing up against the top tier and going down against the second.
In the 81 Tests they have played since their Test debut nearly 13 years ago, Bangladesh has only won four games. Losing a staggering 67 and drawing just 10. Their first victory—against Zimbabwe—took over five years, and the next one took another four.
A century is scored, but no further respectable performances have come later. The team’s talent is not justified by four victories in 13 years. The likes of Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan, Rahim, Abdur Razzaq, Tamim Iqbal, and even Mashrafe Murtaza (when he’s healthy and capable) are athletes who have what it takes to compete on the global platform.
There are things available, including the grounds and top-notch plans. However, the results aren’t. Maybe, it is due to the lack of Test cricket. It could also be a lack of self-confidence or an inability to see one’s potential and plans.
That has been impacting them for a very long time. It might take the Bangladeshi players a few more years to get over it. Based on what is seen on the pitch and the speedy recovery.
Issues with Bangladesh Cricket Board
The Bangladesh cricket team currently appears to be on life support. The Bangladesh Cricket Board is not only unable to offer a decent platform that can produce the best results on the field. But is also alarming for a real sports management system that keeps failing to offer long-term solutions for the growth of the game.
Additionally, it is vital to see the issues like politics and corruption. The Global Corruption Report 2016, issued by Transparency International, looked into the governance issues that the bodies like the BCB faced in terms of their revenue plans.
Unsettlingly high levels of corruption and policy failures within the BCB are indicated by several self-inflicted issues with fixing and betting scandals. The corporate structures of teams in the BPL & the plain ignorance towards home leagues such as the Bangladesh Premier League.
Conclusion
Due to the BCB’s corruption & ego, goal-based sports management has been lacking in Bangladesh cricket. The development of the sport has been stopped by undemocratic and unaccountable leadership systems.
Also, the lack of test cricket with the top 5 nations has stunted the growth of the Bangladesh Cricket Team. For a cricket team to be powerful, they need to consistently play against the top-ranked sides. And the absence of high-quality games has impacted the growth of the Bangladesh Cricket Team.
