The Bangladesh Cricket team has been a test playing nation for 15 years now. However the positive competitive effects have been showcased just recently. The fearless approach has raised their game to a whole new level. Their England drubbing and spirited Quarter Final display against India were just the beginning of their resurgence. Everyone had once again written off Bangladesh before their series against Pakistan and India at home. Whitewashing Pakistan just set the arm bells ringing but defeating the World No.2 ODI team was reminisce of their hard work and determination.owever this was long due. Bangladesh had always been a promising prospect for the future but had never performed to their potential for quite a while. The fans were always there to support their team but the vexation kept creeping in for the lack of results.
The Tigers took 19 years to win their first ODI series and 4 years to win their first ever Test match both against Zimbabwe in 2004. They had always promised on the big stage with upsets in many world cups throughout that briefly revived their competency against the big boys. The constant upsets against Pakistan, India and South Africa in the 1999 and 2007 world cups respectively were just a warning of ascendency on the big stage. However these past 5 years really have marked the perennial rise of Bangladesh. It all started with a 2-0 test series win against West Indies away from home, the first time they won a test match against a team barring Zimbabwe. This was followed by a 4-0 whitewash against New Zealand at home, their first ODI series win against a Top 8 team just some time after their first ever win against England away from home. This was more of a relief to the fans than a prestigious moment. The joy was transitory as all of this was followed by a poor world cup apart from the England upset. The fans vented their frustration of the Bangladesh performance by attacking the West Indian team bus. The team resurrected soon enough, making their first Asia Cup Final in 2012 and defeating the same team in a bilateral ODI series at home.
This recent success however hasn't been widespread. Bangladesh continue to struggle in test matches with only 2 wins against a top 8 nation in 15 years. Their T20 record barring the recent triumph against Pakistan has been far from enviable. With only a couple of wins against West Indies, they have nothing to show for on their plate. They capped off their world cup performance with a 10 match winning streak in ODIs at home which was later snapped by India. They have enjoyed limited overs success in recent times, but still have a lot to learn in tests. Their success has also been limited to their home only. They have only 2 overseas series wins since 1985. With a culmination far from foreseeable, Bangladesh can't afford to let loose. Propped up with the emergence of a lot of young talent and a mercurial captain in Masrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh should certainly aim for the stars.
The Tigers took 19 years to win their first ODI series and 4 years to win their first ever Test match both against Zimbabwe in 2004. They had always promised on the big stage with upsets in many world cups throughout that briefly revived their competency against the big boys. The constant upsets against Pakistan, India and South Africa in the 1999 and 2007 world cups respectively were just a warning of ascendency on the big stage. However these past 5 years really have marked the perennial rise of Bangladesh. It all started with a 2-0 test series win against West Indies away from home, the first time they won a test match against a team barring Zimbabwe. This was followed by a 4-0 whitewash against New Zealand at home, their first ODI series win against a Top 8 team just some time after their first ever win against England away from home. This was more of a relief to the fans than a prestigious moment. The joy was transitory as all of this was followed by a poor world cup apart from the England upset. The fans vented their frustration of the Bangladesh performance by attacking the West Indian team bus. The team resurrected soon enough, making their first Asia Cup Final in 2012 and defeating the same team in a bilateral ODI series at home.
This recent success however hasn't been widespread. Bangladesh continue to struggle in test matches with only 2 wins against a top 8 nation in 15 years. Their T20 record barring the recent triumph against Pakistan has been far from enviable. With only a couple of wins against West Indies, they have nothing to show for on their plate. They capped off their world cup performance with a 10 match winning streak in ODIs at home which was later snapped by India. They have enjoyed limited overs success in recent times, but still have a lot to learn in tests. Their success has also been limited to their home only. They have only 2 overseas series wins since 1985. With a culmination far from foreseeable, Bangladesh can't afford to let loose. Propped up with the emergence of a lot of young talent and a mercurial captain in Masrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh should certainly aim for the stars.
