If I were to show you a photograph of Shakib al Hasan, would you know who he was?
How about Mushfiqur Rahim? Tamim Iqbal? Or even Mominul Haque?
Bangladesh have been a Test cricketing nation for 21 years now. But if you were like 90 per cent of Australian cricketing fans, even the hardcore ones, your answer would be a resolute ‘no’. Or maybe even ‘who the heck are they?’
In this time, the gentlemen mentioned above have established themselves among the finest cricketers that Bangladesh has produced.
All of them have captained their country at some point in at least one of the genres of the game.
At various stages Shakib has scored enough runs and taken enough wickets to be the world’s top-ranked all-rounder in one-day international cricket.
(Photo by Tharaka Basnayaka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Yet, to the majority of the cricket loving world, they remain anonymous.
Bangladesh has undertaken only one Test tour to Australia, and that was over 18 years ago in 2003 when none of the current squad were out of short pants.
Two Test matches and three one-day internationals were played, over the traditional Australian off-season in the middle of the year at previously unused Test match arenas in Darwin and Cairns.
Needless to say, Australia won all matches comfortably against the fledgling cricket nation.
Since this time, Afghanistan and Ireland have also become International Cricket Council full members and joined the Test match roster.
Afghanistan were scheduled to play their inaugural Test match on Australian soil last month, but this was cancelled after the Taliban took charge of the Afghan nation in reaction to their attitudes to women’s cricket.
While the reason for the cancellation may have been justified, one thing that many observers have commented on is how predictable the cancellation of this match actually was, given Australia’s past attitudes towards supporting new and developing international cricket teams.
(Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
The lack of opportunity for Bangladesh to play in Australia has been matched by that of Zimbabwe, who have also had one Test match series on these shores later in 2003.
As well as this, tours to Bangladesh have been cancelled in 2015 and 2020, but this has not just been a recent phenomenon.
Going back through history, our closest neighbours, New Zealand, were granted one full tour in their first 50 years as a Test match nation.
Likewise, until the early 1980s, Test tours by India and Pakistan were comparatively rare.
Lest anyone think that I’m simply bashing the Australian cricket authorities here, it must be said that other established cricketing nations don’t exactly have clean slates in this regard either.
Doubtless Australia would point to the issue of public interest as a reason for their actions here.
They would also be rightly concerned about the profitability of home series against lower-ranked opponents at a time when competition for the public dollar is at its hottest.
(Daniel Pockett – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
I would argue, however, that established nations have an obligation towards international cricket in general that can only be fulfilled by encouraging developing cricketing entities.
Therefore, to make future Test tours more viable, it is important that the gap in standard between the top teams and the rest is closed, and that all Test teams can meet on a more competitive level.
This may be difficult where the domestic first-class game in developing nations is weak in the depth of talent, and the intensity of competition.
I can see a potential start to this process, though. My proposal may appear fanciful, but I believe that established cricket needs to think outside the square to safeguard the future strength of the game.
I would like to see Bangladesh invited to compete in the Sheffield Shield for a period of two seasons.
(Photo by Ahmed Salahuddin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
They could bring a squad of, say, 20 players, be based in a currently unused cricketing centre (Canberra would be ideal), and play each of our states home and away.
This would expose them not only to regular, tough cricket, but also to a variety of different wickets and conditions that they would not experience at home.
International matches could then be played by the team in the off-season.
This could be extended to other developing nations, such as by Ireland playing in the English County Championship, Zimbabwe in the South African domestic competition, and Afghanistan in the Ranji Trophy.
Needless to say the home nations would need to be on board, and the ICC would need to assist in areas of administration and funding.
However, not only would the leading players from emerging nations benefit greatly but they could take their learnings back home with them to fast-track the development of the next generation of international cricketers.
And for that, the world of cricket in general would be grateful.
Parky Claret
Roar Rookie
Good point Tigerbill. One way or another I genuinely hope that the steady improvement in your nation's cricket continues. The talent is definitely there. It's only a matter of experience and know-how now. This Australian certainly remains a very big fan of your nation and its cricketers.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I didn't think NZ and SAF GDP were that far apart. Anyway, I think it's hard to assign values to some of the boards. They use some questionable methods such as Pakistan who makes claims to a huge upcoming broadcast rights period, but that would be only if everything went right and I recall reading the reality is it's something like 10% of what PCB claims. There may be some boards that are asset rich but revenue poor.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Is that gross revenues, or net profit and loss? Interesting that NZ is ahead of SA given SA has 3-4 times the GDP, which presumably affects TV rights value. I guess SA cricket is still based on too narrow a section of the population.
Redcap
Roar Guru
Ah yes, right you are. I think Ryan ten Doeschate might have confused me (not a hard thing to do) somewhere along the line. I'd love to see the occasional international team play in the Shield, or at least the list A tournament (whatever it's called these days).
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Yes. NZ is fourth. Both SAF and Pakistan are on the bones of their financial you know whats.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
5th richest? Ahead of South Africa or Pakistan?
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
TigerBill's suggestion of the Bangladesh A team playing in the Sheffield Shield is a good one, though clearly unlikely to be embraced by the authorities. In the early 70s New Zealand played in the Australasian one-day (40 overs) competition against the state sides. They actually won the title three times out of the six years they competed. Netherlands played in the English limited overs competition, not the first class county championship.
Tigerbill44
Roar Guru
I want Bangladesh teams to play in 1st class tournament throughout the world, specially in parts outside the subcontinent. Not the national team, but A team ,B team, or Khulna Division (the dominant force in domestic cricket) . But it will be very interesting if cricket Aus do invite a Bangladesh team to play Sheffield shield for a season or two. There is a huge community in Bangladesh who stays in the so called 'social media' for 25 hours per day and they make an issue out of nothing. I can see comments like;' is Aus showing contempt to us' or 'what a way to insult our cricket'. these guys think they know everything.
Jack
Guest
Thanks , I think Nepal loves cricket with or without t20. But to see the game take off like it has in places like png USA you can see that t20 is an insanely good growth vechile for cricket.
Parky Claret
Roar Rookie
Thanks for your comments AMD. Suggesting Bangladesh for Australia was a deliberate move. It was designed around giving them experience of quicker Australian wickets that they haven’t played on before. I feel that they are the most advanced of the recent additions to test cricket, and that the next step for them would be to gain more access to conditions alien to those back home
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I agree they still have some way to go re o/s Tests; the reason for highlighting their home record is that it's an indication they're on the right path, with being competitive - and successful - and important progression. I'm not too fussed about their record going back to admission, more so the last few years, particularly with the current core the Test side has been built around. I think their focus has to be on restructuring not only the NCL, but the administration/governance as well, so that's it's more evenly focused across all regions re development and resources. This seems to be the common call being made from a number of those associated with Bangladesh cricket. I think the BCB would be better focused applying their energies there than being distracted by sending a team into the Shield. Otherwise it's really a bandaid solution for mine. The best way for the Bangladesh Test side to get better o/s is to actually play Test series. TBH, when I started reading the article where you mentioned if people could match players faces to names and then followed through re limited touring in Australia in particular, I thought you were going down the path of brand recognition. For me, that's the issue that CA grapples with. CA is reluctant to schedule series against Bangladesh - in part - because the Australian public doesn't know who they are. The only way to break that cycle is to schedule series. Bangladesh is no less competitive that West Indies - perhaps more so (they had those Tests against West Indies at home earlier in the year, the ones they lost by 17 runs and 3 wickets, almost in the bag, certainly within grasp of victory - yet people will still turn up to watch the Windies because they recognise them, even if it's based on past glories. Same could be said for Sri Lanka. I'd be interested in TigerBill's thoughts.
Redcap
Roar Guru
This is a very well written piece, Parky. I'm curious, why did you choose the Sheffield Shield for Bangladesh? I assume it's for geopolitical reasons, but interested in your reasoning. Your proposal is not without precedence - the Netherlands have played in England's first class system before, for example. I'm not convinced that there isn't greater benefit to Bangladesh from competing at international level year-round. I'm not sure if young Bangladeshi rep teams have opportunities to tour countries like Australia, NZ and England. Probably not, especially in the world that's existed since early 2020. I'd prefer to see more of that than Bangladesh taking a step back from international cricket.
Parky Claret
Roar Rookie
Thanks for your comments Rellum. I can appreciate your comments on the need for more tour games to be played. It's not that long ago that all tourists to Australia played each of the state teams in four-day matches, and each state's country XIs over one or two days in their test tours. This practice was discontinued, largely because of the amount of cricket that was being played in general. My concern about the value of these games to a touring team is that the state associations would trot out a second XI, filled with not-quite-theres and promising youngsters, so that their established players could be rested and injuries not risked. The matches against touring teams were seen as meaningless, and basically a nuisance. This was the basis behind an invitation to actually compete in a foreign territory. Each match would be worth something as there would be a competition to be won. There is a precedent there, albeit distant. New Zealand competed in Australia's domestic one day competition for three years in the 1970s. I do like the first class championship idea. That would create the intensity that is needed for the overall standard to improve. Cricket may not come up with the answers immediately, but it does need to think
Parky Claret
Roar Rookie
Firstly, great respect to your opinion Jeff, and thanks for expressing it. I feel that it's slightly misleading to highlight merely home records. The complete picture is that Bangladesh has only managed fifteen wins from 125 tests since admission to the test roster, and only four wins from 59 starts away. Equally bothersome is their inability to save matches, with 95 of their matches ending in defeat, many of these by wide margins. Look, don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of Bangladeshi cricket. I believe there is almost unlimited potential there, and their cricket in general has improved from their first ten years. The challenge is to deliver more consistently on that potential. How to achieve that is a question that Bangladesh, and cricket on the whole, is yet to answer. There is talent across the Bangladeshi National Cricket League. I think there's little doubt of that. The fact that in the 21 seasons of the NCL, three teams have won the competition on 18 occasions indicates that the depth of talent throughout the competition is not there at the present time. As I have stated in other comments, I'm well aware that my suggestion is a radical one. There may be other methods in which the development of newer test nations can be fast-tracked that are not presently being employed, and while they are improving I stand by my opinion that Bangladesh are not out of this category just yet. The quicker that more nations are competitive against the top-ranked test match entities, the better for test cricket on the whole. I think we can all agree on that
Rellum
Roar Guru
No no no no no, just no!!! Bangladesh are not hopeless. If you want teams to do better on the road they need to play a lot more tour games. England should be playing QLD and one other State before the first Test. Our Test guys should have played at least two Shield games before the first Test. I am a fan of regular FC crossover series or even a FC championship to go alongside the Test Championship.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Yes, but you could apply the same principle to sending Australia to play in India's Ranji Trophy or England's County Championship, as it would give the side better exposure to those conditions and improve Australia's chances of winning consistently there.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
"Therefore, to make future Test tours more viable, it is important that the gap in standard between the top teams and the rest is closed, and that all Test teams can meet on a more competitive level. This may be difficult where the domestic first-class game in developing nations is weak in the depth of talent, and the intensity of competition" 1) Why do you assess the quality of the Bangladesh Test team being so poor? In their last 10 home Test series, they've had Test wins over England, Australia, Zimbabwe and West Indies (series win 2-0). Indeed they sit at 6 Test wins/8 losses. Seems crazy to send a team from such a performing Test nation to another nation's domestic comp. 2) Why do you think the talent isn't there in the Bangladesh FC comp? The comp may need restructuring, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board is the 5th richest in the world and can no doubt improve FC development rather than sending a team to Australia's domestic comp 3) What about scheduling? The Shield runs when the Bangladesh FC comp runs. It's also when most of Bangladesh's home Test series are played. It's also when the BPL is played, one of the world's premier domestic T20 comps. I think you undersell the quality and capabilities of Bangladesh cricket.
Parky Claret
Roar Rookie
Good call on PNG and Nepal Jack. On a side note, I thought there was much to be excited about from the likes of PNG and Namibia in the recent T20 World Cup. I have to confess to not being the biggest fan of T20 cricket in general, but if it aids the expansion of the game then I'm all for it!!!
Parky Claret
Roar Rookie
Absolutely they do SC, and I'd be under no illusions that there was any sort of quick fix for this. What saddens me is that while the top three nations are making money and the ICC remains under their thrall, the conversations don't appear to be happening. The suggestions that I have raised are radical, and quite deliberately so, but the game of test cricket can only be strengthened by more nations becoming more competitive. I'm not sure that cricket in general is doing enough to bring this about.
Jack
Guest
Further to this I couldn’t see Bangladesh cricket board being interested but Nepal would be very interested