Cricket betting: Meet the Tigers

Bat and ball / Andrew Hughes / 10 February 2010 / Leave a Comment

Will England struggle without Strauss?

"Bangladesh’s best chance of springing a surprise is undoubtedly in the one day series that precedes the Tests."

For their upcoming tour of Bangladesh, most of the England players will be journeying into the unknown. Andrew Hughes asks what we can expect of the bottom-ranked team in the world.

Bangladesh's rise from Associate member to Test status was a comparatively rapid one, completed in just twenty years. They took part in the 1979 ICC Trophy, played their first one day international against Pakistan in 1986, qualified for the 1999 World Cup and played their first Test match in 2000.

But their results since then have been so poor that many have suggested that they should lose their full member status. Of the 61 Tests they have played to date, they have lost 52 of them, 33 by an innings. Their three victories have come against Zimbabwe and what could be considered a West Indian 'C' team and they have spent much of the last ten years propping up the ICC Test rankings.

Clearly then, failing to win the two match Test series that starts in Chittagong on the 12th March would be a major embarrassment for the England team. Bangladesh are the only Test opponents against whom an England captain would feel safe in taking a rest. Though many of us may disagree with Andrew Strauss's decision, we cannot seriously argue that it is likely to put the success of the tour in doubt and pre-series odds of [1.23] about an England win merely confirm that.

Bangladesh's best chance of springing a surprise is undoubtedly in the one day series that precedes the Tests. They have never beaten England in this format, which doesn't look promising for those wishing to take on the tourists at [1.27] but it should be remembered that England have played the Tigers only eight times in this format, the fewest of all the Test playing nations.

Bangladesh's record in one day internationals is not good, by any means. But they have recorded at least one victory against each of the other seven full ICC members and they will be anxious to complete the set against England. It should also be remembered that none of the England squad have ever been to this part of the world before and with just two warm-up games, the tourists might still be struggling to adjust by the time the first one day game gets underway in Mirpur on 28th February.

And there is no doubt that the Tigers greatest successes have come in the fifty over format. They have twice beaten India, most notably in the 2007 World Cup. On a famous day in Trinidad, they dismissed a lacklustre Indian team for just 191 and then, in a nerve-racking chase, ticked off the winning runs with 9 balls to spare, thanks to a team effort in which three men made half-centuries.

Their most memorable achievement however came in England in 2005, during the Natwest Series. The Aussies were limbering up for the Ashes and were fully expected to steamroller the Tigers in the second game of a three nation series. But things didn't go to plan, from the moment Andrew Symonds turned up with a hangover. Australia posted an adequate 249-5 but were unable to stop Bangladesh from chasing it down, thanks to a breathtaking century from twenty-one year old Mohammed Ashraful.

And whilst even Bangladeshi's most fervent supporters would have to admit that they have not really held their own at the top level of world cricket, their performances have to be put in context. They are not the first Test nation to take a while to find their feet; indeed, it took New Zealand 45 Test matches to record their first win. And the packed fixture list these days means that Bangladeshi's inadequacies are exposed repeatedly, doing nothing for morale.

What they need is time. In particular, time to allow their latest crop of talented youngsters to thrive. In the early days, they relied on older heads, men such as Habibul Bashar, still the country's highest Test run scorer and captain on that famous day in Cardiff. But increasingly they have turned to the graduates of an Under-19 team that regularly punches above its weight. The new generation which includes the likes of dashing opener Tamim Iqbal, talented all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and quick bowler Mashrafe Mortaza can lead Bangladesh to a more successful future.