Bangladeshi Cricket Team Profile

Cricket is a sport that has an immense and passionate admiration in Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi Cricket Team or the Tigers is administrated by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Bangladesh is a member of the International Cricket Council with Test and one-day international status. Bangladesh Cricket team played its first Test match in 2000 (against India at Dhaka), becoming the tenth Test nation. Bangladesh Cricket Team has a strong domestic league, which on many occasions also saw Test players from many different countries like, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, England decking the cricket fields of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the newest member to join the Test playing nations club. Bangladesh got Test status in 2000. The decision received a lot of flak from many cricketing big wigs, and was also quite understandable as Bangladesh lost 31 of its first 34 Tests, with a record 21 losses. The team was clearly weak gave no competition to the other Test teams across the world. However the disappointing spell finally came to an end in early 2005 when Bangladesh, playing their 35th Test, defeated Zimbabwe by 226 runs, thereby creating history for themselves. The team had come very close to winning a few matches in the past, but nothing quite went their way and so this victory called for a lot of celebration.

Top Players:

Throughout this period, two players were consistently performing well in a poor team. Habibul Bashar was top scoring for The Tigers more often than not, and his figures clearly separate him from the other batsmen. In 47 matches, Bashar has managed to score 2953 runs, at an average of 32.09. Although this average is not that impressive when it is put alongside the averages of some of the greats of the game, for a young Test nation, Bashar was making a name for himself. Throughout his career, Bashar has scored 3 centuries and 24 half-centuries, with his top score being 113 not out, against the West Indies in 2004.

The other noteworthy player was the experienced slow left arm bowler, Mohammad Rafique. Like Bashar, his stats and figures are nowhere near being in the same class as the game's top players, but he was a consistent performer for Bangladesh. During his 31 Test matches, Rafique took 94 wickets, at an average of 40.79. His best match figures came against Australia in 2006 when he took 9/160 over the course of the game.

First Win in a Test:

With the defeats stacking up, many began to query the decision that was made by the ICC to allow Bangladesh to be given Test status, as they were being humiliated on countless occasions. However, in 2005, the Tigers hosted Zimbabwe for a two match Test series. Even though Zimbabwe were in the middle of a difficult period (mainly due to political issues that had arisen within the country and had affected the national team), they were still a tough team to beat.

With Bangladesh winning the toss, they put faith in their batsmen and decided to bat first. As in their first ever test match, they posted an impressive score of 488, with Bashar top scoring with 94 runs. Then the bowlers came on to the field and restricted the Zimbabwe team to 312, thanks to the efforts of Rafique who took 5/65.

With the match being in the 4th day, time was against Bangladesh, who knew they had to score quick runs. They came out for their second innings and scored 204. Although they never looked like losing, they still had to take 10 wickets to win the game and with the help of the impressive bowling of Enamul Haque Junior - who took 6/45, The Tigers wrapped up their first ever Test win and the game ended with celebrations of massive proportions. They drew the second Test and won the series as well.

Unfortunately for Bangladesh, they quickly reverted back to old ways and have failed to win a match since. However, in the One Day format of the game, their fortunes have been somewhat different

Test cricket history:

Bangladesh are currently the youngest Test playing nation in world cricket and have been steadily impressing in the One Day format of the game as well as trying to come to grips with the 5 day games.

Having been granted Test status in 2000, The Tigers are still finding their feet in Test cricket. To date, they have played 49 Test matches in seven years, but have only managed to record one victory.

Although Bangladesh have found the going tough at Test level, they got off to a bright start in their inaugural game.

against Asian rivals, India. The game was played in November, at Dhaka in Bangladesh, and they started the match by batting first. The Tigers posted an impressive score of 400, with Aminul Islam top scoring with 145. With this being the first ever Test match played by Bangladesh, it meant that Islam had the honour of being the first ever Bangladeshi player to score a century at Test level.

The game ended with India winning comfortably by 9 wickets, after Bangladesh collapsed in the second innings and were bowled out for 91. However, Bangladesh had certainly made an impression on the world of cricket.

1997: Bangladesh wins the sixth ICC trophy in Malaysia. Bangladesh also becomes a regular ICC member with the right to play one-day internationals.

1998: Bangladesh posts its first ODI win against Kenya in India. In October, Bangladesh hosts (although did not participate in) the first ever "Mini World Cup", a knock-out ODI tournament featuring all the test playing nations.

1999: Bangladesh performs in the 7th Cricket World Cup in England. In a group match, Bangladesh defeats Pakistan.

1999-2000: A new first-class format National League is launched. The home and away tournament has divisional teams from Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna, Barisal and Rajshahi.

2000: Bangladesh attains the status of a test playing country on 26 June. Bangladesh's inagural test match takes place in Dhaka against touring India on 10-14 November, 2000

2004: In December, Bangladesh team wins its 100th ODI with a 15-run victory over World Cup Runners-up India at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, It was Bangladesh's overall sixth win in one-dayers, but the first ODI victory on home soil. It was also only their third win against a Test-playing nation after defeating Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup in England and beating Zimbabwe in March, 2004.

2005: In January, Bangladesh records their maiden test victory with a thumping 226 runs win over Zimbabwe. This was the 35th test for Bangladesh. Bangladesh team also secures its first ever Test and ODI series wins.

In June, Bangladesh defeats world champions Australia in a Natwest Series ODI match. Mohammad Ashraful is the hero with a run-a-ball century.

DESH CRICKET HISTORY

DESH CRICKET HISTORY:

On July 26, 1977, Bangladesh becomes an Associate member of the I.C.C.

The BCCB seeks coaching help from the MCC. The MCC sends Bangladesh her first foreign crick, an Englishman named Robert Jones.et coach

In England, leaving the tournament with 2 wins and 2 defeats. Seven years later, on 31 March 1986, Bangladesh played in its first One Day International match against Pakistan in the 1986 Asia Cup. Cricket has gradually become very popular in urban areas of the country. Although football was the most popular game for a long time, cricket gained a momentum and soon surpassed football, especially after Bangladesh won the ICC trophy in Malaysia in 1997, where they upset Pakistan, although they did not pass the group phase. In 1997, Bangladesh became a regular ICC member with the right to play one-day internationals. It attained the status of a Test playing country on 26 June 2000.

As of July 2009, Bangladesh has played in 61 Tests, winning only 3. Their first victory was against Zimbabwe and the other two against a West Indian team crippled by the exodus of its senior players. They have lost 52 of their matches, and 33 of these by an innings.^[1] Bangladesh's performance has led to repeated calls for them to lose their Test status.